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SONOMA COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT
COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING 2555 MENDOCINO AVENUE
SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA 95401 PHONE 707 527-2412
August, 1976
The attached technical report on the Historic Preservation Element
of the County General Plan has been prepared to more fully elaborate
general statements included in the Environmental Resources Management
Element (ERME) of the proposed County General Plan update (see page 89) regarding Historic
Preservation.
Since ERME has not yet been adopted by the County Board of Supervisors,
the recommendations and conclusions in the attached report are not the
policy of the County of Sonoma and should be viewed as a portion of the
yet-to-be-adopted Environmental Resources Management Element .
SONOMA COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT
HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM
ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ELEMENT
SONOMA COUNTY GENERAL PLAN
TECHNICAL REPORT
SONOMA COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT
MAY 1976
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
DEFINING HISTORIC PRESERVATION
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
PRESERVATION AND THE GENERAL PLAN
COORDINATION BETWEEN CITIES AND COUNTY
BACKGROUND OF SONOMA COUNTY
GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
HISTORICAL SKETCH
CHARACTERISTICS OF FOUR SONOMA COUNTY ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
CURRENT PRESERVATION ACTIVITIES
HISTORIC DISTRICT ZONING ORDINANCE
HISTORIC SITES INVENTORY
HISTORIC PRESERVATION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
PROPOSED HISTORIC DISTRICTS
NON-STRUCTURAL LANDSCAPE FEATURES
PROPOSED HISTORIC STRUCTURES
COUNTY LANDMARKS COMMISSION
DESIGN REVIEW
INDIVIDUAL HISTORIC STRUCTURES
HISTORIC DISTRICT
SPECIAL DESIGN DISTRICTS
PRESERVING COMMUNITY INTEGRITY
DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR NEW AND REMODELED
CONSTRUCTION IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS
IMPLEMENTING HISTORIC PRESERVATION
PRIVATE ACTION
GOVERNMENTAL ACTION
APPENDIX
PREFACE
Highly important to the preparation of Sonoma County's
Historic Preservation Program has been the input of the
Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee.
Special recognition is extended to Committee members,
Daniel Markwyn for writing the Historical Sketch, and
to Timothy A. BelL for writing the Geographical Sketch.
Assistance provided by California State College, Sonoma
students and Sonoma County historical societies was
invaluable in compiling and evaluating the Historic
Sites Inventory.
Particularly notable is the contribution made by professional
photographer, Ron Chamberlain of Occidental.
Mr. Chamberlain is responsible for photos presented on
the following pages: 7, 9 bot, 33 bot, 39, 43 bot, 44,
45 top, 47 top, 57, 58 bot, 59.
Information from the City of Sacramento report, Sacramento
Old City: A Preservation Program; and from the City of Santa
Cruz Historic Preservation Plan was valuable in preparing
the section herein entitled "Design Principles for New and
Remodeled Construction in Historic Districts". Information
from the Historical Element of the Monterey County General
Plan was valuable in preparing the section on "Implementing
Historic Preservation."
INTRODUCTION
DEFINING HISTORIC PRESERVATION
In recent years the scope of historic preservation
has expanded to protect remnants of what has happened
in the lives and development of a people or society,
whether it be at the national, state, or local level.
At the local level, historic preservation can be
applied to assist communities in the understanding and protection of their special heritage.
The Sonoma County landscape contains many unique
features that make it an outstanding part of the
California landscape. The great variety of landscapes found within Sonoma County have provided the setting for a wide range of economic and cultural activities throughout its history.
The result is a landscape fabric of rich historical texture, an integral
part of the environment needing understanding
and protection.
Historic preservation is more than just preserving sites and structures associated with the lives of
national patriots, statemen, and other heroes of past
eras; historic preservation encompasses more than
Sonoma County's Fort Ross, Petaluma Adobe, or Vallejo's
Lachyra Montis Home. It is more than just saving
old buildings. Historic preservation promotes saving exceptional
buildings, putting them to practical use, if appropriate, and establishing criteria for creating
an historic district so that the traditional
design fabric community is sustained. In many instances, particularly in the conservation of structures, it makes good economic sense to rehabilitate buildings or to readapt old structures to new uses.
A fundamental basis for historic preservation is that the retention of the best of the past serves as a constant reminder of our heritage and development. Identity and pride are strengthened when a community’s history is interwoven with its developing fabric. The value of preservation, therefore, can be measured in economic as well as social terms.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee
was established in January 1975, in response to the
goals and policies for historic preservation developed
by the General Plan Citizens' Advisory Committee.
The first step in initiating a comprehensive historic
preservation program is to identify and evaluate existing
historic resources. Hence, the major task of
the Technical Advisory Committee has been to refine
and elaborate upon an inventory of historic sites
compiled by California State College, Sonoma students
since 1972. Citizen representatives assisted the
Committee in the review and evaluation of historic
features in their particular area. Evaluation criteria
were developed by the Committee to quantitatively
analyze historic features. A partial listing of
specific structures suitable for preservation and a
list of environmental settings worthy of special
treatment has been developed and is an integral part
of the Historic Preservation Program. Several areas
of the County remain to be surveyed and evaluated.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
1.That the map showing historic districts and
historic corridors be adopted. (See page 38)
2. That the list of important historic buildings
contained within the technical report be
adopted. (See Appendix)
3. That the criteria for additions to the list
of important historic buildings be adopted.
4. That the Historic Preservation Program be
utilized as a guide in establishing standards
to be followed by property owners, developers,
and public agencies in land use and building
construction in areas of historical importance.
5. That the historic survey and evaluation program
begun by the Historic Preservation Technical
Advisory Committee be encouraged.
6. That an Archaeological Protection Ordinance and a Technical Advisory Committee be considered
for evaluating archaeological sites in Sonoma County.
PRESERVATION AND THE GENERAL PLAN
This report is part of the Environmental Resources
Management Element of the Sonoma County General Plan.
It was prepared to further explain the above recommendations
which are cited from the Summary Report of
the Environmental Resources Management Element.
The California State Legislature, in September, 1974,
authorized general plans to include an historic preservation
element.
The Historic Preservation Program also addresses
itself to the following General Plan Goals and Policies:
I. It shall be the goal of Sonoma County to preserve
significant archaeological and historical sites
representing all the ethnic, cultural, and economic
groups that have lived and worked in Sonoma County.
2. It shall be the goal of Sonoma County to safeguard
and maintain areas of outstanding scenic, historic, or cultural value.
3. It shall be the goal of Sonoma County to accommodate
anticipated population growth in ways that
are not damaging to the social, economic, and
environmental goals of this County.
Senate Bill 2309 amends Section 65303 of the
Government Code. Defines historic preservation
element and requires guidelines to be developed
by the State Office of Planning and Research by
February 1, 1976.
In Recognition of Goal Number 1:
The Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee
developed a partial list of significant historic features
in the County. The Committee did not deal with archaeological
sites except insofar as to recommend that a
detailed evaluation system, similar to that developed
for historical sites, be developed for archaeological
sites in Sonoma County. According to archaeologist,
Willam Poe, archaeologists do not attribute archaeological
potential to historic sites unless excavation
of the site would serve to actually interpret the site.
The term "prehistoric" refers to non-literate groups.
Hence, prehistoric or archaeologic sites in Sonoma
County refer to native American settlements while
historic sites refer to European settlements.
California State College, Sonoma, is the repository
for the archives of the Society for California
Archaeology. These archives contain archaelogical
information for all of the north coast except Marin County.
Fort Ross and the Petaluma Adobe, the only known
historic sites of great archaeological potential in
the County, are already state owned . Recent studies
by California State College, Sonoma students indicate
original Russian farms may have been located near the
town of Bodega and also in Coleman Valley. Such
sites would be historic sites of significant archaeological
potential.
In Recognition of Goals Number 2 and 3:
The Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee
monitored architectural guidelines developed for historic
communities. These guidelines are intended to
preserve the architectural theme and local character
of historic communities. For local residents protection
of the historic fabric of a community instills
a sense of pride, continuing presence, and increased
confidence in the present and future of their community.
Studies by Nick Del Cioppo, Masters Candidate
in the History Department, California, State
College Sonoma, 1975
COORDINATION BETWEEN CITIES AND COUNTY
Although county government is responsible only for unincorporated
lands, advice and assistance in setting
up preservation programs within the various cities will
be available from the County Landmarks Commission and
County Planning Department. Each city is urged to devise
its own historic preservation plan. Several Sonoma
County cities have organized historical societies and
have enacted or attempted to enact historic preservation ordinances.
The City of Petaluma has enacted an historic preservation
ordinance and is working to develop a preservation
program. Heritage Homes of Petaluma is the local historical society.
Santa Rosa, in 1974, adopted an historic preservation
ordinance although no historic buildings or districts
have been officially recognized by the City. The Santa
Rosa Civic Arts Commission, Sonoma County Arts Council,
and Sonoma County Historical Society , meet regularly in
Santa Rosa and are concerned with community history and
beautification projects. To celebrate the nation's bicentennial,
the Sonoma County Bicentennial Commission
is working on several local history projects including
the establishment of a county historical museum.
The main objective of the newly-formed Healdsburg
Historical Society is the establishment of a local
Healdsburg Museum. The museum will house a collection
of Healdsburg newspapers published from 1865 to the
present, as well as other historical documents.
In Sonoma, the Architectural Review Commission has been
working for several years to establish an historic district
in the downtown plaza while the Sonoma League for
Historic Preservation and the Sonoma Historical Society
have been researching the area's history. In 1975, the
Sonoma Land Trust was founded to investigate the possibilities for purchasing historic properties in the
Sonoma Valley and in the City of Sonoma
Other historical societies include the Western
Sonoma County Historical Society whose concern is
Sebastopol and areas west of Sebastopol, and the
Cloverdale Historical Society whose concern is the
north central portion of the County.
BACKGROUND OF
SONOMA COUNTY
GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
The landscape of Sonoma County encompasses remarkable
variety-a long and varied coastline, rugged mountains,
gentle rolling hills, broad fertile valleys, rushing
rivers and gentle streams, geothermal activity and
mineral springs.
Climatically, the County ranges from a tempered marine
climate along its coastal front to a Mediterranean
climate on its eastern and northern margins. This diversity
allows an agricultural emphasis on apples in
the western Sebastopol area and a concentration on
wine grape production in the east and northeast sectors.
Several longitudinal mountain ranges, separated by
valleys of considerable size and importance, dominate
the County. It is in the valley landscapes that the
various communities of Sonoma County may be found.
On the eastern margin, the Mayacamas Range marks the
border between Sonoma, Lake, and Napa Counties. Lying
between the Mayacamas and the central range, which is
called the Sonoma Mountains, is the noted and beautiful
Valley of the Moon which includes the towns of
Sonoma, Glen Ellen and Kenwood as well as other, lesser communities.
Between the Sonoma Mountains and the Coastal Range
stretches a broad plain running almost the length of
a low rise called Meacham Hill. In the plain to the
south of this hill lies the City of Petaluma which is
located at the head of navigation on the Petaluma River,
an important connection, historically, with San Pablo
Bay and the Bay cities.
Along the higher ground on the east and northeast flank
of Meacham Hill are the communities of Penngrove, Cotati,
and Rohnert Park. Northward from Meacham Hill the plain
broadens. On its western margin is found the town of
Sebastopol. The smaller communities of Graton and Forestville,
also to the west of the plain, are located
more into the foothills of the coastal range.
The City of Santa Rosa lies on the eastern side of the
plain close to where it is joined by the upper end of
the Valley of the Moon. Northward from Santa Rosa the
plain narrows, becoming defined on the east by the
foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains and on the west
by the much broadened intrusion of the Coast Range.
The communities of Windsor and Healdsburg are found in
this area.
North of Healdsburg the plain becomes a function of the
Russian River and is called the Alexander Valley.
Healdsburg, Geyserville, and Asti are the settlements
of this valley and are located along the river course.
North of Asti the river valley constricts even more and
in the small valley that remains is found the town of
Cloverdale.
At the town of Healdsburg, the Russian River begins
its turn toward the Pacific Ocean. Its course is confined
to the western margin of the Santa Rosa plain
until it finds its way westward through the coast range
near the community of Forestville. Beyond this point
the valley landscape of the river is virtually absent. Where it does exist are found small
communities such as Guerneville, Monte Rio, and Duncans Mill. At the mouth of the Russian River is the small community of Jenner.
Other small communities in the County are found in
small isolated valleys and plains. Occidental is located in a small valley within the coast range west
of Sebastopol. In similar valleys are found the communities
of Freestone and Bodega. Valley Ford is located adjacent to the Marin County border in a broad valley formed by the Estero Americano. Bodega Bay is perched on a small uplifted coastal plain adjacent to
the Bay of the same name.
The entire northwest sector of the County is composed
of rugged, ill-defined mountain ranges - part of the
dissected Mendocino Plateau. Isolated communities such
as Annapolis and Cazadero serve limited populations
within this area. The southeast sector of the County
yields to low flat marshlands being part of the San
Pablo Bay. It is similarly unoccupied.
The great variety of landscapes found within Sonoma
County have provided the setting for a wide range of
economic and cultural activities throughout its history.
The result is a landscape fabric of rich historical
weave, an element of the environment needing understanding
and protection.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
Centuries before the north bay region became important
in European struggles for empire and profit, groups
of native peoples settled there in harmony with the
changing seasons. Whether Pomo, Wappo or Miwok, these
people lived in village communities amongst ample food
supplies and passed their cultures from generation to
generation in oral traditions, complex cermonies, and
among the Pomos in the demanding art of basket weaving.
During the last quarter of the eighteenth century,
however, upper California became increasingly important
to European nations probing along the edges of Christendom.
In 1775 the Spanish sailor Bodega y Quadra
entered Tomales Bay, but confusion attached his name
to the smaller inlet a few miles to the north. Despite
Bodega's voyage along the northwest coast, and the
dedication of the Presidio of San Francisco and of
mission San Francisco de Assi in 1776 by agents of an
expanding Spanish empire, life went on much as before
north of the bay, although occasional visits by English
ships touched the lives of the coastal Indians and convinced
the Spaniards of British designs on the area.
Then in 1812 the Russians ventured south from Alaska and
ignored Spanish territorial claims north of the bay by
leasing from the Pomos a village site on a headland
seventy-five miles north of San Francisco Bay. After
establishing Fort Ross , the first European settlement
in the present county, the Russians laid out three nearby
farms to provide grain for the new fort and for
export to Sitka. Bothered by the Russian presence, the
newly independent Mexican government sent Jose Altimira in
1823 north into the Sonoma Valley to found a mission and
firm up control of the potentially rich valleys between the
Sacramento River and the coast. Dedicated as San Francisco
de Solano in 1824, the mission became in 1835 the center of
the new town of Sonoma, and the headquarters of the youthful
Mariano Vallejo who already had begun to build an
enormous adobe "palace" on his ten-league rancho some
miles to the west in the Petaluma valley. Mexican attempts
in 1833 and 1834 to colonize the Santa Rosa plain
had failed, and the success of the Sonoma settlement thus
became doubly important to control of an area troubled
by suspected Russian encroachment and by native resistance.
Disease aided the Mexican cause in 1838, when a smallpox
epidemic reduced the local tribes and victory seemed
assured in 1841,when declining fortunes persuaded the
Russians to sell Fort Ross to the Swiss adventurer,
Johann Sutter, and sail for Alaska.
The Russian departure did not free Mexican California
from the insistent pressure of other peoples. Men
from the "states" had been a familiar sight north
of the bay for some years. Cyrus Alexander operated
his tannery in the valley which now bears his name
and Captain Henry Delano Fitch, Vallejo's brother-inlaw,
although living in the south had been granted
the Sotoyome rancho near present Healdsburg. Samuel
Smith, a Baltimore sea captain, arrived in 1843 with
the first steam engine in California, and erected a
saw mill on the site of the Russian farm at present
Bodega. By the mid-1840's the Americans were present
in substantial numbers and in June 1845 thirty-three
Americans, caught up in the suspicions and
machinations preceding the Mexican War, raised the
Bear Flag in Sonoma and declared independence. The
war between Mexico and the United States which had
begun a month before the action in Sonoma ended in
1848 and added California to the territories of the
United States. Statehood came in 1850 and although
it did not sweep suddenly away the old patterns of
life it did stimulate growth and development, particularly
in agriculture. Lumbering, tanning and
quarrying also played important parts in the new county’s economy and the old ranchos were gradually
broken up often to the accompaniment of bitter litigation.
Transportation increased in importance as population
increased and towns appeared. Santa Rosa grew up near
the Carillo rancho of Vallejo's mother-in-law and Petaluma
adobe. Before the railroads came in the 1870's,
a network of stagecoach routes tied together the communities, ranches and farms of the County. Roads were
often muddy and difficult despite the efforts of local
government, and stage travellers welcomed stops at such
hostelries as the Washoe House on the trail from Petaluma
to Smith's Ranch and Bodega Bay. Railroads eased the paths of commerce and travel through the County and by 1880, for instance, Petaluma’s thriving chicken and egg industries were connected profitably by both rail and water routes to the San Francisco markets. Lumbermen in the timberlands along the Russian River and quarrymen near
near Freestone and Santa Rosa depended on
the railroads, as did the ranchers and farmers along Dry Creek, and the visitors who came to marvel at the geysers,
or who sought renewed vigor in the County's numerous
mineral springs or at Emily Preston's dispensary near
Cloverdale. During the last quarter of the century some visitors sought solace of a different sort in three utopian communities. Fountain Grove, immediately north
of Santa Rosa, remains the most well known of these,
but the Icaria Speranza colony south of Cloverdale, and
the Altruria colony on Mark West Creek, anticipated
social experiments of the 1960's and 1970's as well.
In the century and a quarter of American control,
Sonoma County has shared in California's general prosperity
and enormous population growth. Potatoes, hops,
wine grapes, apples and other fruits became important
crops and dairy farming contributed importantly to the
wealth of the County. Eventually both light industries
and service occupations joined agriculture to provide
employment for a growing and remarkably diverse population
as native Americans, Mexicans, Chinese, Swiss,
Italians, and Portuguese all made important contributions
to life in the County despite the heavy odds of
dominant Yankee values.
The earthquake of 1906, the utilization of the automobile,
the depression of the thirties, and the World War
of the forties shaped significantly the history of the
County in the twentieth century. The depression and the
war sent thousands of Americans toward golden California.
Automobiles and trucks increased individual mobility and
encouraged rapid growth along main travelled corridors,
and centralized services in the main urban centers.
Housing tracts, apartments and shopping centers created
a new twentieth-century landscape. The memory of
earlier times was to be found only in the byways of the
County where in many stranded rural centers the flavor
of the nineteenth century was preserved.
CHARACTERISTICS OF FOUR HISTORIC
SONOMA COUNTY ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
Architectural styles are defined through time, with
adaptations being made to fit particular geographic
and economic conditions. In small fast-growing communities,
interpretations of architectural styles
often are much more simplistic than their equivalent
expressions in well-established urban environments.
Sonoma County historical architecture was influenced
by the Yankee Invasion of the Gold Rush period. The
predominating style, simplified Greek Revival, was
once common throughout California. Greek Revival,
Queen Anne, ltalianate, and Stick are the most popular
19th century Sonoma County styles. These styles
will be described here in terms of specific design
features: roof slope, massing of building volumes,
proportions of windows and doors, detailing and ornamentation,
use of materials, and color. This discussion
will develop the basis for design review as
implemented by the Historic District Zoning Ordinance.
GREEK REVIVAL
In its early California stages Greek Revival is noted
for its sharp, severe lines which became less severe
through time. Building volumes appear as a simple
block or as a juxtaposition of simple blocks.
Roof slopes are very steep. Different building volumes
are positioned perpendicularly.
In the Greek Revival style, doors and windows are
positioned at very regular intervals, often in a
symmetrical relationship. Doors have the same proportions
as windows, both being long and narrow.
Windows are composed of many small panes and are always
straight at the top -- never arched
Molding around windows and doors and at building edges
is very precise. The more articulated examples of
Greek Revival have roof plane framing that returns
at the building edges.
Historical Architecture is readily distinguishable
from newer structures due to its horizontal lap
siding.
Railings and Balustrades, if present, are always formal
(symmetrical) and composed of vertical elements.
Balustrade with diagonal members (as below) is
inappropriate for Greek Revival.
Greek Revival buildings are very straight-forward
statements. Clean simple lines with precise detailing
is the hallmark of this style. Facades are usually
devoid of any extraneous ornamentation, save
perhaps, decorated porch posts.
QUEEN ANNE
In their detailing and precision the simple Queen Anne
wooden expressions found in Sonoma County are very similar
to Greek Revival. The readily identifiable differences
are in the buildings' massing of volumes and roof
pitch. Queen Anne building lines are less severe than
Greek Revival. Roof profiles are what has been described
by architectural historians as more "picturesque" -- that
is, they are composed of several intersecting planes.
The overall building shape and placement of windows and
doors is not regular or symmetric. Proportions of windows
and doors is often irregular also. Queen Anne
houses usually have some windows that are long and narrow
in the same proportions as the door, and some windows
that are twice as wide as the door. There are never
pediments over the windows or doors, however, roof planes
often intersect at the roofline, creating a triangular
pediment-like effect. Pastel shades are common to Queen
Anne exteriors, with precise moldings around windows and
doors often painted in a contrasting color.
Exterior wooden siding, as with Greek Revival, is
typically horizontal lap siding. Exterior faces often have a variety of textures, as the addition of scalloped shingles
shingles in the roof pediment.
Little touches of applied ornamentation
are also common.
STICK STYLE
Stick Style emphasizes the vertical dimension and
flat, gingerbread decoration.
ITALIANATE
This style is characterized by a false front with brackets
beneath the cornice line, and if roof or door pediments
are present, they are supported by brackets also. Doors
and windows are always long and narrow. This characteristic
is the most commonly misrepresented feature of
modern-day adaptations of the ltalianate style. The
tendency today is to open up these buildings to allow
more light to enter, however this does not follow the
Italianate characteristics developed in the late 1800's.
ltalianate windows are rounded at
the top and have brackets under the console.
Italianate buildings have
a cornice supported by
brackets to finish off the false front.
CURRENT
PRESERVATION
ACTIVITIES
HISTORIC DISTRICT ZONING ORDINANCE
In 1973, the Board of Supervisors received requests by
petition from twenty-two Freestone property owners to
establish an Historic District in Freestone and to designate
certain buildings as Historic Structures. However,
no such zoning classification existed in the
County zoning code. After several months of staff research,
a zoning classification for Historic Districts
was developed in the spring of 1974.
The intention of historic district zoning is to preserve
the exterior appearance of buildings existing in the
historic district and to regulate the exterior appearance
of any new buildings erected within the district. In Sonoma County, the Historic District (“HD”) zone
is a "combining district zone, meaning that it is a
zoning designation applied in combination with whatever
zoning class already exists on the parcel(s). For
"RR-HD", for Secondary Agricultural "A-2-HD", for
Neighborhood Commercial "C-I-HD", etc. The "HD" designation
does not change land use or directly affect
lot splits or taxes. Under "HD" zoning, individually
designated historic structures are also protected for
six months from demolition. Should the owner of an
historic structure seek to demolish his building, the
County Landmarks Commission may suspend the granting of
a Permit to Demolish for a period not to exceed six
months. During this interval it is hoped that alternatives
to demolition, such as relocation of the structure,
public or private purchase, or adaptive re-use,
may be arranged.
In addition, design control is required for designated
historic structures within or outside of an historic
district if proposed exterior alterations require a
building permit. All new construction in historic districts
is also subject to design review.
Upon passage of the "HD" zoning classification, Freestone
residents immediately requested consideration as
an Historic District. A Citizens' Advisory Committee
was therefore appointed by the Board of Supervisors,
in accordance with the historic district zoning ordinance.
This Committee worked with Planning staff to suggest
precise boundaries of the district, to identify those
buildings which might be designated as historic buildings,
and to recommend style standards for new construction
in the area. The Planning staff later prepared a
study analyzing the Citizens' Advisory Committee findings.
After the study was reviewed by all property
owners of the proposed Historic District, public hearings
were held by the Planning Commission and Board
of Supervisors officially designating Freestone as an
Historic District.
The Sweetwater Springs Historic District, six miles
southwest of Healdsburg at the intersection of Westside
Road and Sweetwater Springs Road, was dedicated at the
property owner's request as the County's second Historic
District in December, 1975. This district contains
seven buildings on two parcels. The three designated
historic structures include the hop kiln, which dominates
the curve in Westside Road about six miles from
Healdsburg, the sheep barn across Westside Road from
it, and the Italianate residence behind it, moved to
the site from another similar rural agricultural area
(Fulton) to save it from being torn down. The other
four buildings are of lesser importance, although they
contribute positively to the total environmental setting
of the ranch. The hop kiln and its surrounding
environs typify Sonoma County agricultural life at the
turn of the century. The Hop Kiln Winery is the most
significant remaining stone hop kiln in the North Coast
Region (Sonoma and Mendocino Counties).
To date, over a dozen historic structures have been
designated, outside the confines of an historic district,
as a part of specified land use and zoning studies performed
by the Current Planning Division of the County
Planning Department. These buildings are located in
Occidental, Windsor, and the South Sonoma Valley.
HISTORIC SITES INVENTORY
One of the key elements of any successful historic preservation
effort is an inventory of possible candidates
for preservation status. Recognizing this need, the
Planning Deparment invested the aid of California State
College, Sonoma students and staff. In the fall of 1972,
several students in geography classes began survey work.
This work has expanded during the 1974-75 academic year
so that forty geography and history students, under the
direction of Professors Timothy Bell and Peter Mellini,
assisted in the survey work. As of this writing, approximately
500 inventory items have been recorded. An additional
stature was given the work by the creation of
an Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee
under the General Plan Citizens' Advisory Committee.
This survey is a very valuable educational tool for both
students and County residents. Students are taught to
apply concepts of history and geography learned in the
classroom. Community interest is awakened when students
make inquiries of local residents concerning the history
of their community. The most important aspect of the
historic preservation experience is educating the public
to appreciate history and to discover that history can
be most meaningful if correctly interwoven with the developing
fabric of a community.
The Planning Department's base mapping system was utilized
to facilitate the survey procedure. This grid mapping
system divides the County into approximately 120 units.
Following introductory lectures on architectural styles,
students were assigned a particular grid unit as their
survey area. Survey results were recorded on specially
prepared forms. The forms, to be found in the Appendix,
include a photograph and location map of the structure
or site, information pertaining to architectural and
historical significance, condition of the building, and
if available, the street address, owner's name, assessor's
parcel, and zoning designation.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Citizen involvement in the Open Space Element of the
County General Plan dates to 1972. Goals and Policies
for Historical/Archaeological Preservation were developed
by the Historical and Cultural Resources Sub-Committee
on Open Space. These goals and policies were very general
in nature. Planning staff and the General Plan Advisory
Committee felt that more specific study was necessary
to initiate a comprehensive historic preservation
program. To this end, the Historic Preservation Technical
Advisory Committee was organized in January, 1975.
Working with the Planning staff from the goals and
Advisory Committee explored and developed the basic
problems and procedures for a Sonoma County historic
preservation program.
It must be stressed that this committee did not officially
designate structures or historic districts, but merely identify and categorize these resources.
The major task of the Historic Preservation Technical
Advisory Committee has been to review and elaborate upon
the raw inventory of historic sites compiled by California State College, Sonoma students, and identify areas that might be suitable for eventual designation as historic districts.
The Technical Advisory Committee was assisted
by representatives from the localities studied. A
partial listing of specific structures suitable for
preservation and a list of environmental settings deserving
special treatment has been developed and is
included in the Appendix of this report. As of this
writing, not all areas of the County have been surveyed
and evaluated.
Two committee meetings were held for each locality
studied. Such areas consisted of several communities:
I. Glen Ellen and Kenwood; 2. Bodega, Bloomfield,
Valley Ford and Two Rock; 3. South Sonoma Valley;
4. Cloverdale, Geyserville, Alexander Valley and Dry
Creek Road in Healdsburg; and 5. Petaluma Area. A
first meeting was held for input from the local community,
and a second for committee evaluation of raw data.
Citizen representatives for a survey area, members of
local historical societies and long-time residents,
were invited to attend the first meeting for a survey
area. Prior to this meeting, Planning staff had reviewed
the survey sheets, augmented these listings
the inventory for the area; also, Committee members
visited the area with maps indicating possible historic
sites. Citizen representatives then reviewed
background as possible, and indicated important landmarks
not previously cited in the survey.
A standard procedure for recording citizen evaluation
and data input was not developed since settlement patterns varied in different geographical
areas. In areas where settlement patterns and road names were recognizable from the 1898 Atlas of Sonoma County,
1898 maps were projects with an overhead
projector to facilitate discussions of community
history. Communities today not easily recognizable from the 1898 maps were evaluated by circulating
sheets among citizen representatives or by projecting
slides of individual buildings.
Each slightly different method of recording local
history was successful; however, thought must be given to finding the appropriate method for a particular
community or region.
Citizen representatives and Committee members often
performed further research following these initial
meetings for a survey area.
The second meeting for a survey area was devoted to
evaluation of inventory entries. The Technical Advisory
Committee developed an effective system to
evaluate structures and/or sites according to cultural
and physical qualities. This system is based on a
matrix and scoring system entitled "Inventory of
Associated Values for Historic Sites". This system
identifies sites by inventory number, street address,
environmental setting, architectural style, and
archaeological potential. Sites are then rated according
to symbolic/historical and aesthetic/architectural
merit. Archaeological potential was not
generally noted unless a site was commonly known to
be an important archaeological site. The intent of
the scoring system Is to identify the relative Importance
of inventory entries.
The terms "COMMUNITY", "NEIGHBORHOOD" or "FARM" are
utilized to describe environmental setting:
COMMUNITY - a settlement; a complete unit with residential
and commercial uses, e.g., Freestone, Bloomfield,
Bodega, Valley Ford.
NEIGHBORHOOD - a series of houses within a formal
pattern; one house within a row of houses; various
FARM- one or two houses, or a house and outbuildings,
within an agricultural setting.
A site given a total score of four or above is considered
to be a significant County landmark. This
is not to infer, however, that other sites are to be
dismissed. The determining factor in this regard is
the environmental setting of the structure or site.
If several structures receiving a symbolic/aesthetic
rating of less than four exist in a group, they might
be important within the context of an Historic District
or Special Design District. Many city and state procedures
for evaluating inventories of this type establish
rigid priority categories, thus eliminating
less important structures even though they might be
significant as part of an ensemble. Sonoma County's
evaluation procedure was designed so not to dismiss
any structures readily, except those that are obviously
unimportant or detrimental. Refer to the Appendix
for review of the forms utilized in recording the
Inventory of Associated Values for Historic Sites.
PROPOSED HISTORIC DISTRICTS
Following are the proposed Historic Districts and
several significant Historic Structures recommended
by the Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee
for eventual landmark designation.
Several survey areas remain to be evaluates. The
Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee
will continue its work in conjunction with student
survey teams and representatives of local communities
until these additional areas have been surveyed and
evaluated.
NON·STRUCTURAL LANDSCAPE FEATURES
Landscape features may also be designated under the
Historic District Zoning Ordinance.
COUNTY LANDMARKS COMMISSION
The Historic District Zoning Ordinance prescribes the
creation of a County Landmarks Commission. This Commission
shall consist of one resident from each supervisorial district,
appointed by the board of supervisors. The ordinance delegates this body to
conduct architectural design review for new construction and extensive remodeling of existing buildings
within an historic district. In addition, the ordinance
grants the County Landmarks Commission demolition control
over dedicated County landmarks. Permits for
demolition of landmark structures would be reviewed
by the Commission and either approved, or denied for
a period not to exceed six months to allow for finding
alternatives to demolition.
The Historic District Zoning Ordinance outlines no further
duties for the Commission beyond those specified
above. It is hoped that the study and recommendations
of the Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee
will provide the foundation for the work of the County Landmarks Commission.
Now that the tools for historic preservation in Sonoma
County have been developed, the success of a preservation
program depends upon a dedicated citizens's committee
supported by the Board of Supervisors and policies of local government.
According to the California State Office of Planning
and Research, over thirty preservation ordinances have
been adopted in California, although Sonoma County is
most likely the first county in California to designate a rural historic district.
DESIGN REVIEW
The objective of an historic preservation program is
fitting preservation into the mainstream of planning
activities - not merely saving a handful of buildings.
Design review is an important tool introduced with the
designation and preservation of individual historic
structures, historic districts and special design
districts as a means for preserving community identity
and promoting good design in Sonoma County.
Historic preservation promotes good design while also
strengthening a community's economic and social position.
Good community design contributes to the wellbeing
of residents and visitors alike. Properly preserved
historic structures often serve as imaginative
focal points for community activity.
To understand the necessity for instituting design review
in historic areas, it should be realized that the
decay of community design is usually slow and almost
imperceptible. Piecemeal changes often go unrecognized
until it is too late. Quite often historic buildings
are altered in a manner that is unsympathetic to their
architectural integrity. Numerous residences in areas
of mixed residential/commercial use are often converted
to accommodate commercial and professional establishments.
In many instances, residential facades are
altered to accommodate new uses without any attention
being paid to architectural details or style. No attempt
is made to express continuity in the choice of
building materials, in the proportions of windows or
doors, or in the articulation of windows and framing
details. In residential renovations, among the most
serious errors are changing the shapes of windows
and doors, and changing exterior textures by use of
stucco, asbestos shingles, or tar paper. For commercial
conversions, the integrity of original structures is
often further obliterated with the addition of obtrusive
signs.
Awareness of community history and historical architecture
encourages residents to value and care for their
community. Good design standards protect community
vitality from within while also insuring that new residents
or businesses attracted to an historic community
will maintain a community's attractiveness and live-ability.
Properly preserved and interpreted historic areas and
structures help provide an economic asset to a community
through tourism. "Sightseeing visits to historic areas
are a large portion of the recreational activity of
Californians. Every attempt at compatible usage with
tourism should be made without sacrificing historic
integrity."
INDIVIDUAL HISTORIC STRUCTURES
The geographic boundaries of preservation efforts may
be limited to a particular structure or site, or may
encompass larger districts. Thus the preservation of
historic or architecturally significant structures
can involve individual structures or an entire area.
Preservation of historic buildings and environments
should be viewed on a continuum ranging from isolated
individual historic buildings in rural areas, to
historic buildings in an urban setting, to an entire
historic district. The concern of the Technical Advisory
Committee and the staff has been to structure
government participation in preservation efforts on
this continuum so as to provide regulatory tools suited
to each particular case. Designated landmarks need
not necessarily be buildings but may also include
historic sites or natural phenomena. The two rocks
that gave Two Rock its name might be an example of a
non-structural historic landmark.
Several buildings have, to date, been designated by
the Board of Supervisors as Sonoma County Historic
Landmarks. They have been essentially sites significant
primarily to local communities rather than of
regular statewide significance. However, these landmarks
can be expected to be entered on the State
Historic Resources Inventory.
The staff and Technical Advisory Committee in developing
recommendations has based its work through development
of an inventory of historic buildings and sites.
This has involved contact with individual communities.
This has (and will provide broad-based input to the
program. However, it is not feasible for the Planning Department or Landmarks Commission to perform detailed studies of the community.
This initiative will lie within the individual community. In addition,
any building deemed to be architecturally or historically
significant may be designated as a county landmark
at an owners request. Requests may be expected
from chambers of commerce, historical societies,
improvement clubs and other civic organizations. Such
groups might wish to research their local history
to determine whether buildings deserve Sonoma County
landmark designation.
In the future, owners of certain historic structures
may benefit from a tax exemption. If designated
Sonoma County Landmarks qualify for California State
Landmark Registration, the property owner may negotiate
for an historical property contract and receive
a tax exemption. Buildings eligible for inclusion
in the National Register of Historic Places may eventually
be eligible for tax exemption also.
The designation of a structure as a County Landmark
protects the building facade from changes. Any building
permit must be approved by the County Landmarks
Commission to ensure compatibility with overall exterior
design of the structure, and ensure that,
should the owner desire to demolish a building, the
County Landmarks Commission may issue a temporary stay
of demolition to facilitate saving the structure.
HISTORIC DISTRICTS
An historic district is an area containing a number
of structures having special historic, architectural,
or aesthetic value. Although the appearance of the
community may have been somewhat altered through time,
the original community fabric, building and street
lines, and patterns of open and developed spaces are
still essentially intact. Formation of an historic
district can be centered around several primary structures
that are designated as County Landmarks, but
structures not themselves of landmark importance can
also be included within the district to support the landmarks visually in scale and continuity.
All buildings within the district are subject to design standards
specified by the Planning Commission through efforts
of the Planning staff and local Citizens' Advisory
Committees, and administered by the County Landmarks
Commission. New construction and alterations to existing structures requiring a building permit are monitored
to ensure compatibility with the character of
the historic district. Landmark designation for a
structure within the district offers a building temporary
demolition protection, should the structure be
threatened. Freestone is an example of a designated
historic district.
SPECIAL DESIGN DISTRICTS
A special design district is an area or town having
an identifiable community character or theme, but not
having a cohesive unified design continuity. A
distinguished district in that while it will include several
historic or architecturally significant buildings,
the original community style continuity is gone. Individual
historic structures may be designated within
a special design district. Occidental is an example
of a special design district.
Occidental residents value the conglomeration of
architectural styles represented in their town but were
anxious that the identity of their community be strengthened and the historic structures preserved.
An historic district may also be dedicated adjacent to or within the boundaries of a special design district. An example of the latter is Broadway leading into the City of Sonoma. Broadway and much of the City deserve to be designated as special design district, while the historic Sonoma Plaza should be placed under the strict design control and demolition control afforded by Historic District zoning. A special
design district study would define those characteristics
warranting preservation and set forth design
standards for new construction and remodeling. A special
design district would be zoned as a combining district
zoning designation, Scenic Design ("SO"). Design review
for the district would be performed by the Design Review
Committee of the Sonoma County Planning Department.
PRESERVING COMMUNITY INTEGRITY
Technology has quickened the pace of change and introduced
a great variety of building materials and construction
methods. Since personal tastes and social
attitudes often govern today's choice of materials
and methods, design review has been introduced to
guarantee carefully executed design solutions.
The landscape and buildings of a healthy community
exhibit continuity of a community's past and present.
In recognition of this concept, a properly instituted
design review program aims to insure guided freedom
for future growth in historic areas. Design review
for historic districts or special design districts
will vary according to conditions in particular communities,
but should insure that new buildings conform
in scale, proportions and texture to existing community form.
Efforts to achieve continuity should not be so restrictive
as to force design into mere imitation. Yet the
design of new buildings in and adjacent to historic
areas, and new additions to old buildings must be carefully
executed to achieve harmony between old and new.
The challenge particularly in special design districts
is to create contemporary buildings whose flavor and
scale complements rather than imitates the predetermined
images of the historic setting.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR NEW AND REMODELED
CONSTRUCTION IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS
The design principles and standards below are intended to
ensure maximum compatibility of new construction with older
buildings in historic districts.
It is important that new buildings be constructed to a
height within a reasonable average height of existing adjacent
buildings.
In urban areas, the relationship of height and bulk of
adjacent buildings is most important. For Sonoma County
rural historic districts, however, the building height
relationship may assume less importance.
REPETITION OF ROOF SHAPE
Relationship of Roof Shapes - Similarity of roof shapes
is often the most important means for achieving continuity
in design between new and old buildings In historic
areas. Roofs are an important factor in the overall design
of a building to help relate items such as height
and scale to those of adjacent structures.
Directional Expression of Front Elevations – Structural shape, placement of openings, and architectural details may give a predominantly vertical, horizontal, or a non-directional character to the building’s façade.
19th century residential buildings tend to be vertical
while 20th century buildings often have a horizontal emphasis.
Relationship of Materials - A variety of materials, when
properly used, can add to the distinctiveness of a
neighborhood. Common materials are brick, stone, stucco,
wood, or other material. Used properly, materials can
enhance desired neighborhood qualities such as compatibility,
continuity, similarity, harmony, etc.
Relationship of Textures - The texture of a building is
an important factor in the overall appearance of a
neighborhood. The predominant texture may be smooth
(stucco), or rough (brick with tooled joints), or horizontal
wood siding, or other textures. Whatever texture
is used, its appearance must be considered in
relation to the neighborhood to ensure a compatible
blending with other styles.
Relationship of Colors - The proper application of a
color scheme to a building or a series of buildings can
highlight important features and increase their overall
appearance. Accent or blending colors on building
details is also desirable in creating compatibility of
neighboring structures.
Use of exterior color is of particular importance in
the case of a wood frame house where the combination
of wall and trim colors usually decides its basic
character.
A good color scheme should be neighborly as well as
effective in itself, so that both the house and the
environment benefit.
Repetition of details - such as choice of exterior
building materials, proportions of windows and doors,
gingerbread porch posts and trim, window and door
moldings, cornices, lintels, and arches- is extremely
important in ensuring compatible appearance in new
construction in historic areas.
There has been a general misunderstanding as to the
19th century styles because of the weather-beaten
appearance of many vintage buildings. Greek Revival,
Queen Anne, ltalianate, and Stick architectural styles
are precise in their detailing and consistency of proportions.
There is a great difference between these
precise, albeit weathered, architectural statements,
and contemporary efforts to create vintage-style buildings
by constructing badly proportioned, no details,
rough-shod buildings of rough-sawn plywood or board
and batten.
Setback is an important consideration in harmonizing new
with old in rural historic areas.
IMPLEMENTING HISTORIC PRESERVATION
PRIVATE ACTION
Land Trusts
Recently, there has been an upsurge in the number of
private conservation groups willing to purchase or accept
lands for the benefit of the community and the
environment.
Residents of the Sonoma Valley have established a
local Sonoma Land Trust under the guidance of the Trust for Public Land.
The Trust for Public Land, founded in 1973 and headquartered in San Francisco,
acquires important open space lands from the private
sector, often at a rate lower than fair market value, and
eventually sells it to public agencies.
Often citizens want to donate land to public agencies
but jurisdictions do not want to accept it. The Trust for Public Land works to create local self-sustaining
conservation organizations to purchase open space in
and around urban areas. Private efforts, such as these,
should be encouraged as an effective means of acquiring
funds that might otherwise not be attainable through government action, or as a holding action until governmental funds can become available.
Preservation Grants and Loans
Grants and loans can often be procured to aid community
groups in the purchase or rehabilitation of historic sites or significant
buildings. Private philanthropic foundations and the Federal Government generally provide
funds to be matched by the local jurisdiction, counties or cities. Concerned Individuals can donate important
skills: architectural skills, archival research,
legal advice, photographic skills, or writing of news
stories. The cost equivalents of these donated services
can be computed at fair market value and are often used as “matching funds”. The federally-funded National
Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C., allows
this practice. Local publicity often procures
additional financial aid.
Uses of Charitable Deduction
State and Federal income tax laws allows businesses and
individuals to obtain favorable tax deductions for many
types of donations to non-profit causes. There are
also carryover provisions to spread the effects of a
deduction beyond one fiscal year. With ingenuity, tax
write-offs can be a powerful aid to historic preservation.
Revolving Funds
A revolving fund is capital administered by a nonprofit
corporation for the purpose of purchasing and
restoring architecturally significant structures. It
can also be cash lent by a non-profit organization to
individuals or organizations for the same purpose. All
proceeds from rentals, sales, interest, and dividends
must be returned to the fund in order to replenish it.
Thus the fund revolves. Such funds are generally
used in specific urban areas or historic districts.
The revolving fund assembles high risk capital from
private individuals, foundations and financial instructions
to stimulate private investment and ownership
in deteriorated areas.
Less than Fee Acquisition
Land ownership is a bundle of rights to the use of
land, for example, the right to develop the land, the
right to mineral exploration, etc. In less-than-fee
acquisition, only certain desired rights are purchased
or obtained by donation, such as the right to prohibit
tree removal, road construction, or building of structures.
Less-than-fee acquisition is, therefore, the acquiring
of a number of rights in order to retain, encourage or
deter certain types of land uses. This is an effective
historic conservation procedure.
Historic Preservation Easements
Historic preservation easements generally deal with the
exterior features of a building and are a means of purchasing
a right in a property to insure that architectural
features will not be altered. Easements may also
control the height of buildings adjacent to historic
sites.
"Easements are frequently used by private bodies that
employ revolving funds. Property is purchased, restored,
and resold with an architectural easement.
GOVERNMENTAL ACTION
Historical Buildings Code
Senate Bill 927, approved in September, 1975, creates
a State Historical Buildings Code to provide "for alternative
building regulations for the rehabilitation,
preservation, restoration, or relocation of qualified
historical buildings or structures." This bill authorizes
the building department of every California city
or county and state agencies "to apply regular building
code regulations, alternative building code regulations,
or any combination thereof, in permitting
repairs, alterations, and additions to historical
buildings or structures." This bill will encourage
historic preservation by making it easier to appeal
certain Uniform Building Code regulations unsympathetic
to rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of older structures.
Historical Property Contracts
"The legislative body of a city or county may contract with
the owner of any qualified historical property, a Registered
California State Landmark, to restrict the use of such
property to retain its characteristics of historical significance.
If such contracts are entered into, the owner
of an historical property may receive a tax deduction."
Environmental Effect Review
Guidelines established by the State Environmental
Quality Act of 1970 mandate that an Environmental Impact
Report be prepared if a proposed project might
cause a possible significant adverse effect on the
environment. If a project is designed to destroy a
known archaeological or historical site, it would most
likely be construed as having a possible significant
adverse effect. In this case, an EIR would be prepared
to explore the nature, value, and importance of the
threatened resource. The EIR would explore possible
mitigations to alter or modify the project in such a
way as to avoid significant adverse effects. It will
also discuss other possibilities to a proposed project
by examining alternative projects on the same site, or
the same project on alternative sites.
In Sonoma County, the Environmental Protection Committee
performs initial review to determine whether a
project will require an EIR. The County decision making
bodies (Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors)
must possess adequate environmental information
to assess the effects of a proposed project at the
time of public hearing.
Zoning Permit Procedures
In addition to overall zoning procedures, specified
land uses within certain zoning classifications require
approval by permit from the Planning Commission
or the Zoning Administrator. The permit procedures
allow the County to review proposed projects for conformance
with applicable laws, County policies, general
suitability of the use in the area, and mitigation of
possible adverse environmental effects, and to establish
conditions of use which may in part provide for
the protection of environmental features, amenities,
economic and historic resources.
Subdivision Regulations
Local governments have power to regulate subdivisions
within their jurisdiction, and approval of a proposed
subdivision may be withheld or subjected to specific
conditions. These conditions, known as subdivision
exactions, can require sub-dividers to donate land or
money to local government for park, school, sewer,
and drainage facilities since the subdivision will
require increased governmental services. These exaction
powers have been given liberal interpretation by
the courts and give local governments broad power to control land use in subdivisions. These powers may be used to promote historic preservation if the land for a proposed subdivision contains any structures of historic or architectural value. Approval of the subdivision may be withheld if there are no provisions for their preservation, or the county may exact a dedication of the land to the public for park purposes.
THE CALIFORNIA HISTORY PLAN
(This section was prepared by the California State Department of Parks and Recreation)
The objective of the California History Preservation Program is the preservation and interpretation of California’s rich heritage through the identification and protection of significant historic features.
This objective is achieved through a variety of state sponsored programs, including the preparation and
maintenance of a California History Plan, a statewide inventory of all historic and archeological features, and several
registers of outstanding sites, objects, and structures. The state’s participation in the preservation effort is carried out by the Department of Parks and Recreation and includes the acquisition, development, interpretation, and operation of historic units within the California State Park System and administration of grants-in-aid programs that provide financial assistance in the preservation of state and local historic features.
The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 requires
that each state produce a history plan and conduct
a survey of historic resources. To accomplish this, the California History Plan has been prepared in three volumes.
Volume One: Comprehensive Preservation Program
presents an overview of California's history,
recommends programs for history preservation, and outlines
a systematic process for selecting preservation projects.
Volume Two: Inventory of Historic Features contains
approximately 3,000 entries. However, this inventory is not complete and will be continually updated.
Volume Three: Annual Preservation Program lists
California's proposed preservation projects for the
coming fiscal year, reports the status of current
projects, and updates information on policy changes
and legislation that affect history preservation in the state.
Inventory of Historic Features
The California State Department of Parks and Recreation,
with the help of each county in the state, is
conducting a statewide inventory of archaeological and
historic sites, structures, and objects. Each county,
through its board of supervisors, participates in compiling
the inventory. Counties are being assisted by
historical societies and by civic, service, youth, and other interested groups. Inventory forms are
available from the State Department of Parks and Recreation or
through the Sonoma County Planning Department. The State Inventory of
Historic Features will eventually contain approximately 50,000 items.
REGISTER PROGRAMS
California Landmarks Program
This program is monitored by the State Historical Resources Commission, which functions as a screening body to recommend to the State Historic Preservation Officer those applications that meet the criteria for landmark registration adopted by the Commission. The Commission requires the sites and features to be significant in the history of the state.
Each landmark registered by the State is eligible a landmark plaque. Today there are nearly 860 California
Historical Landmarks, many of which are marked with appropriate plaques.
Points of Historical Interest Program
This program was established to make it possible to register sites of local historic interest that fail to meet the criteria for registration as California Historical Landmarks. Applications are submitted to the State Historic Preservation Officer.
National Register of Historic Places
Under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966,
the National Park Service maintains a register of districts,
sites, buildings, structures, and objects that
meet the criteria established under this act. California's
State Historic Preservation Officer to the
National Park Service is the Director of the Department
of Parks and Recreation. He makes nominations to the
National Register based on the advice of the State Historical
Resources Commission. The historic features
thus nominated must then be approved by the National
Park Service.
The California State Park System
Through the Department of Parks and Recreation, the
State of California operates more than 35 historic
park units. Many of the other units in the State
Park System also contain important historic features.
Such features as old forts, gold rush towns, missions,
museums, mansions once owned by famous individuals,
and artifact collections are maintained within the
State Park System and are interpreted through exhibits
and guided tours for the education and enjoyment of
the general public.
Sonoma County and the California Program
Entries in the Sonoma County Historic Sites Inventory
have not yet been recorded on the appropriate state
forms and included in the state inventory. The newly appointed
County Landmarks Commission may coordinate
this project.
Numerous designated Sonoma County Historic Landmarks
and Districts are, and will, be eligible for State and
National Register designation. Sites are listed in
the National Register of Historic Places according
to national, state, regional, or local significance
in history, architecture, archaeology, or culture.
It is conceivable that many designated Sonoma County
Historic Landmarks will be eligible for inclusion
under the categories of local, regional, or state significance.
SONOMA COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT GUIDE TO PREPARING HISTORIC SITES: INVENTORY OF ASSOCIATED VALUES FOR HISTORIC SITES
SITE NUMBER: Determined by map section numbers
ADDRESS:
SYMBOLIC VALUE: 0 to 3
3-National/State
2-Regional/County
1-Local
0-None
AESTHETIC VALUE: -1 to 3
3-Outstanding
2-Important
1-Indigenous
0-None
1-Detracts
ARCHAEOLOGICAL POTENTIAL: "Yes" or "No"
ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING:
Community: a settlement; a complete unit with residential
and commercial uses; i.e.: Freestone,
Bloomfield, Bodega, Valley Ford
Neighborhood: a series of houses within a formal pattern; one house within a row of houses; various
buildings not in a town center; i.e.: a residential
street in: Bodega Bay, El Verano, Geyserville
or McDonald Ave. in Santa Rosa
Farm: one or two houses or a house and out-buildings within an agricultural setting
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: If a house, give style: ltalianate, Queen
Anne, Greek Revival, Stick, Adobe, etc.
If a structure other than a house, give type: barn, school, depot, etc
If landscape feature, give type: fence, grove
of trees, railroad right of way, cemetery, etc.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
City of Sacramento Historical Structures
Advisory Committee, Sacramento Old City: A Preservation Program, Sacramento City Planning Commission,
Curtis, Tomi – Consultant for Arthur D. Little, Inc., a Proposed Historic Preservation Program and Ordinance, final report to the City of Santa Rosa, Ca., Sept. 1974
Feiss, Carl and Morton, Terry B., “True or False: Living Architecture, 0old and New: a reprint from Historic Preservation, vol. 20, #2, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington, D.C., April-June 1968.
Hansen, Harvey J., Wild Oats in Eden, Hooper Printing and Lithograph Co., Santa Rosa,Ca., 1962
Monterey County Historical Advisory Committee, Historical Element: Monterey County General Plan, Monterey County, Ca., May 1974
Mulle, Barbara Davis, Sonoma County Crossroads. C.M. Publications, San Rafael, Ca., 1974.
Scharmer, Roger P., Historic Preservation – a Planning Opportunity, State of California Dept. of Housing and Community Development, Sacramento, a report on a presentation made to the American Institute of Planners Convention, 1974.
Small Towns Institute, Small Tow, Proceedings of the conference “Administration in Small Towns” sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in February 1975,vol. 5 May 1975.
Sonoma County Planning Dept., Sonoma County Open Space Elements, Phase II, Santa Rosa, Ca., June 1973.
Stanford Environmental Law Society and the National
Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic
Preservation in Californja: A Legal Handbook,
Stanford, Ca. March 1975.
State of California Dept. of Parks and Recreation,
The California History Plan, Vol. One:
Comprehensive Preservation Program. Dec. 1973;
Vol. Two: Inventory of Historic Features.
August, 1973; Vol. Three: Annual Program. June 1975, Sacramento, Ca.
Ziegler, Arthur P., "Dollars and Sense: Preservation
Economics", Historic Preservation, the
National Trust for Historic Preservation, Wash.,
D.C., Vol. 23, #2, April-June, 1971.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Brian Kahn– First District
William Kortum – Second District
Charles Hinkle – Third District
Will Johnson – Fourth District
Robert Theiller – Fifth District
PLANNING COMMISSION
Janet G. Nicholas
Fred Realy, Jr.
Marion Hodge
Adrienne Swenson
Helen McAboy
Evelyn Riddell
Edward T. Meese
Thomas J. Lubas
Doris Kennedy
Lee O. Torr III
HISTORIC PRESERVATION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Dan Lee Peterson, Chairperson - Architect
Timothy A. Bell – Geographer, California State College, Sonoma
Harry Lapham – Sonoma County Historical Society
Daniel Markwyn – Colonial Historian, California State College, Sonoma
Peter Mellini – Social Historian, California State College, Sonoma
Joann Mitchell – Local Historian
William Poe – Archaeologist, California State College, Sonoma
Jim Voss – Citizens’ General Plan Advisory Committee

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SONOMA COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING 2555 MENDOCINO AVENUE SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA 95401 PHONE 707 527-2412 August, 1976 The attached technical report on the Historic Preservation Element of the County General Plan has been prepared to more fully elaborate general statements included in the Environmental Resources Management Element (ERME) of the proposed County General Plan update (see page 89) regarding Historic Preservation. Since ERME has not yet been adopted by the County Board of Supervisors, the recommendations and conclusions in the attached report are not the policy of the County of Sonoma and should be viewed as a portion of the yet-to-be-adopted Environmental Resources Management Element . SONOMA COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ELEMENT SONOMA COUNTY GENERAL PLAN TECHNICAL REPORT SONOMA COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT MAY 1976 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE INTRODUCTION DEFINING HISTORIC PRESERVATION HISTORIC PRESERVATION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE PRESERVATION AND THE GENERAL PLAN COORDINATION BETWEEN CITIES AND COUNTY BACKGROUND OF SONOMA COUNTY GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH HISTORICAL SKETCH CHARACTERISTICS OF FOUR SONOMA COUNTY ARCHITECTURAL STYLES CURRENT PRESERVATION ACTIVITIES HISTORIC DISTRICT ZONING ORDINANCE HISTORIC SITES INVENTORY HISTORIC PRESERVATION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE PROPOSED HISTORIC DISTRICTS NON-STRUCTURAL LANDSCAPE FEATURES PROPOSED HISTORIC STRUCTURES COUNTY LANDMARKS COMMISSION DESIGN REVIEW INDIVIDUAL HISTORIC STRUCTURES HISTORIC DISTRICT SPECIAL DESIGN DISTRICTS PRESERVING COMMUNITY INTEGRITY DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR NEW AND REMODELED CONSTRUCTION IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS IMPLEMENTING HISTORIC PRESERVATION PRIVATE ACTION GOVERNMENTAL ACTION APPENDIX PREFACE Highly important to the preparation of Sonoma County's Historic Preservation Program has been the input of the Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee. Special recognition is extended to Committee members, Daniel Markwyn for writing the Historical Sketch, and to Timothy A. BelL for writing the Geographical Sketch. Assistance provided by California State College, Sonoma students and Sonoma County historical societies was invaluable in compiling and evaluating the Historic Sites Inventory. Particularly notable is the contribution made by professional photographer, Ron Chamberlain of Occidental. Mr. Chamberlain is responsible for photos presented on the following pages: 7, 9 bot, 33 bot, 39, 43 bot, 44, 45 top, 47 top, 57, 58 bot, 59. Information from the City of Sacramento report, Sacramento Old City: A Preservation Program; and from the City of Santa Cruz Historic Preservation Plan was valuable in preparing the section herein entitled "Design Principles for New and Remodeled Construction in Historic Districts". Information from the Historical Element of the Monterey County General Plan was valuable in preparing the section on "Implementing Historic Preservation." INTRODUCTION DEFINING HISTORIC PRESERVATION In recent years the scope of historic preservation has expanded to protect remnants of what has happened in the lives and development of a people or society, whether it be at the national, state, or local level. At the local level, historic preservation can be applied to assist communities in the understanding and protection of their special heritage. The Sonoma County landscape contains many unique features that make it an outstanding part of the California landscape. The great variety of landscapes found within Sonoma County have provided the setting for a wide range of economic and cultural activities throughout its history. The result is a landscape fabric of rich historical texture, an integral part of the environment needing understanding and protection. Historic preservation is more than just preserving sites and structures associated with the lives of national patriots, statemen, and other heroes of past eras; historic preservation encompasses more than Sonoma County's Fort Ross, Petaluma Adobe, or Vallejo's Lachyra Montis Home. It is more than just saving old buildings. Historic preservation promotes saving exceptional buildings, putting them to practical use, if appropriate, and establishing criteria for creating an historic district so that the traditional design fabric community is sustained. In many instances, particularly in the conservation of structures, it makes good economic sense to rehabilitate buildings or to readapt old structures to new uses. A fundamental basis for historic preservation is that the retention of the best of the past serves as a constant reminder of our heritage and development. Identity and pride are strengthened when a community’s history is interwoven with its developing fabric. The value of preservation, therefore, can be measured in economic as well as social terms. HISTORIC PRESERVATION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE The Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee was established in January 1975, in response to the goals and policies for historic preservation developed by the General Plan Citizens' Advisory Committee. The first step in initiating a comprehensive historic preservation program is to identify and evaluate existing historic resources. Hence, the major task of the Technical Advisory Committee has been to refine and elaborate upon an inventory of historic sites compiled by California State College, Sonoma students since 1972. Citizen representatives assisted the Committee in the review and evaluation of historic features in their particular area. Evaluation criteria were developed by the Committee to quantitatively analyze historic features. A partial listing of specific structures suitable for preservation and a list of environmental settings worthy of special treatment has been developed and is an integral part of the Historic Preservation Program. Several areas of the County remain to be surveyed and evaluated. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE 1.That the map showing historic districts and historic corridors be adopted. (See page 38) 2. That the list of important historic buildings contained within the technical report be adopted. (See Appendix) 3. That the criteria for additions to the list of important historic buildings be adopted. 4. That the Historic Preservation Program be utilized as a guide in establishing standards to be followed by property owners, developers, and public agencies in land use and building construction in areas of historical importance. 5. That the historic survey and evaluation program begun by the Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee be encouraged. 6. That an Archaeological Protection Ordinance and a Technical Advisory Committee be considered for evaluating archaeological sites in Sonoma County. PRESERVATION AND THE GENERAL PLAN This report is part of the Environmental Resources Management Element of the Sonoma County General Plan. It was prepared to further explain the above recommendations which are cited from the Summary Report of the Environmental Resources Management Element. The California State Legislature, in September, 1974, authorized general plans to include an historic preservation element. The Historic Preservation Program also addresses itself to the following General Plan Goals and Policies: I. It shall be the goal of Sonoma County to preserve significant archaeological and historical sites representing all the ethnic, cultural, and economic groups that have lived and worked in Sonoma County. 2. It shall be the goal of Sonoma County to safeguard and maintain areas of outstanding scenic, historic, or cultural value. 3. It shall be the goal of Sonoma County to accommodate anticipated population growth in ways that are not damaging to the social, economic, and environmental goals of this County. Senate Bill 2309 amends Section 65303 of the Government Code. Defines historic preservation element and requires guidelines to be developed by the State Office of Planning and Research by February 1, 1976. In Recognition of Goal Number 1: The Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee developed a partial list of significant historic features in the County. The Committee did not deal with archaeological sites except insofar as to recommend that a detailed evaluation system, similar to that developed for historical sites, be developed for archaeological sites in Sonoma County. According to archaeologist, Willam Poe, archaeologists do not attribute archaeological potential to historic sites unless excavation of the site would serve to actually interpret the site. The term "prehistoric" refers to non-literate groups. Hence, prehistoric or archaeologic sites in Sonoma County refer to native American settlements while historic sites refer to European settlements. California State College, Sonoma, is the repository for the archives of the Society for California Archaeology. These archives contain archaelogical information for all of the north coast except Marin County. Fort Ross and the Petaluma Adobe, the only known historic sites of great archaeological potential in the County, are already state owned . Recent studies by California State College, Sonoma students indicate original Russian farms may have been located near the town of Bodega and also in Coleman Valley. Such sites would be historic sites of significant archaeological potential. In Recognition of Goals Number 2 and 3: The Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee monitored architectural guidelines developed for historic communities. These guidelines are intended to preserve the architectural theme and local character of historic communities. For local residents protection of the historic fabric of a community instills a sense of pride, continuing presence, and increased confidence in the present and future of their community. Studies by Nick Del Cioppo, Masters Candidate in the History Department, California, State College Sonoma, 1975 COORDINATION BETWEEN CITIES AND COUNTY Although county government is responsible only for unincorporated lands, advice and assistance in setting up preservation programs within the various cities will be available from the County Landmarks Commission and County Planning Department. Each city is urged to devise its own historic preservation plan. Several Sonoma County cities have organized historical societies and have enacted or attempted to enact historic preservation ordinances. The City of Petaluma has enacted an historic preservation ordinance and is working to develop a preservation program. Heritage Homes of Petaluma is the local historical society. Santa Rosa, in 1974, adopted an historic preservation ordinance although no historic buildings or districts have been officially recognized by the City. The Santa Rosa Civic Arts Commission, Sonoma County Arts Council, and Sonoma County Historical Society , meet regularly in Santa Rosa and are concerned with community history and beautification projects. To celebrate the nation's bicentennial, the Sonoma County Bicentennial Commission is working on several local history projects including the establishment of a county historical museum. The main objective of the newly-formed Healdsburg Historical Society is the establishment of a local Healdsburg Museum. The museum will house a collection of Healdsburg newspapers published from 1865 to the present, as well as other historical documents. In Sonoma, the Architectural Review Commission has been working for several years to establish an historic district in the downtown plaza while the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation and the Sonoma Historical Society have been researching the area's history. In 1975, the Sonoma Land Trust was founded to investigate the possibilities for purchasing historic properties in the Sonoma Valley and in the City of Sonoma Other historical societies include the Western Sonoma County Historical Society whose concern is Sebastopol and areas west of Sebastopol, and the Cloverdale Historical Society whose concern is the north central portion of the County. BACKGROUND OF SONOMA COUNTY GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH The landscape of Sonoma County encompasses remarkable variety-a long and varied coastline, rugged mountains, gentle rolling hills, broad fertile valleys, rushing rivers and gentle streams, geothermal activity and mineral springs. Climatically, the County ranges from a tempered marine climate along its coastal front to a Mediterranean climate on its eastern and northern margins. This diversity allows an agricultural emphasis on apples in the western Sebastopol area and a concentration on wine grape production in the east and northeast sectors. Several longitudinal mountain ranges, separated by valleys of considerable size and importance, dominate the County. It is in the valley landscapes that the various communities of Sonoma County may be found. On the eastern margin, the Mayacamas Range marks the border between Sonoma, Lake, and Napa Counties. Lying between the Mayacamas and the central range, which is called the Sonoma Mountains, is the noted and beautiful Valley of the Moon which includes the towns of Sonoma, Glen Ellen and Kenwood as well as other, lesser communities. Between the Sonoma Mountains and the Coastal Range stretches a broad plain running almost the length of a low rise called Meacham Hill. In the plain to the south of this hill lies the City of Petaluma which is located at the head of navigation on the Petaluma River, an important connection, historically, with San Pablo Bay and the Bay cities. Along the higher ground on the east and northeast flank of Meacham Hill are the communities of Penngrove, Cotati, and Rohnert Park. Northward from Meacham Hill the plain broadens. On its western margin is found the town of Sebastopol. The smaller communities of Graton and Forestville, also to the west of the plain, are located more into the foothills of the coastal range. The City of Santa Rosa lies on the eastern side of the plain close to where it is joined by the upper end of the Valley of the Moon. Northward from Santa Rosa the plain narrows, becoming defined on the east by the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains and on the west by the much broadened intrusion of the Coast Range. The communities of Windsor and Healdsburg are found in this area. North of Healdsburg the plain becomes a function of the Russian River and is called the Alexander Valley. Healdsburg, Geyserville, and Asti are the settlements of this valley and are located along the river course. North of Asti the river valley constricts even more and in the small valley that remains is found the town of Cloverdale. At the town of Healdsburg, the Russian River begins its turn toward the Pacific Ocean. Its course is confined to the western margin of the Santa Rosa plain until it finds its way westward through the coast range near the community of Forestville. Beyond this point the valley landscape of the river is virtually absent. Where it does exist are found small communities such as Guerneville, Monte Rio, and Duncans Mill. At the mouth of the Russian River is the small community of Jenner. Other small communities in the County are found in small isolated valleys and plains. Occidental is located in a small valley within the coast range west of Sebastopol. In similar valleys are found the communities of Freestone and Bodega. Valley Ford is located adjacent to the Marin County border in a broad valley formed by the Estero Americano. Bodega Bay is perched on a small uplifted coastal plain adjacent to the Bay of the same name. The entire northwest sector of the County is composed of rugged, ill-defined mountain ranges - part of the dissected Mendocino Plateau. Isolated communities such as Annapolis and Cazadero serve limited populations within this area. The southeast sector of the County yields to low flat marshlands being part of the San Pablo Bay. It is similarly unoccupied. The great variety of landscapes found within Sonoma County have provided the setting for a wide range of economic and cultural activities throughout its history. The result is a landscape fabric of rich historical weave, an element of the environment needing understanding and protection. HISTORICAL SKETCH Centuries before the north bay region became important in European struggles for empire and profit, groups of native peoples settled there in harmony with the changing seasons. Whether Pomo, Wappo or Miwok, these people lived in village communities amongst ample food supplies and passed their cultures from generation to generation in oral traditions, complex cermonies, and among the Pomos in the demanding art of basket weaving. During the last quarter of the eighteenth century, however, upper California became increasingly important to European nations probing along the edges of Christendom. In 1775 the Spanish sailor Bodega y Quadra entered Tomales Bay, but confusion attached his name to the smaller inlet a few miles to the north. Despite Bodega's voyage along the northwest coast, and the dedication of the Presidio of San Francisco and of mission San Francisco de Assi in 1776 by agents of an expanding Spanish empire, life went on much as before north of the bay, although occasional visits by English ships touched the lives of the coastal Indians and convinced the Spaniards of British designs on the area. Then in 1812 the Russians ventured south from Alaska and ignored Spanish territorial claims north of the bay by leasing from the Pomos a village site on a headland seventy-five miles north of San Francisco Bay. After establishing Fort Ross , the first European settlement in the present county, the Russians laid out three nearby farms to provide grain for the new fort and for export to Sitka. Bothered by the Russian presence, the newly independent Mexican government sent Jose Altimira in 1823 north into the Sonoma Valley to found a mission and firm up control of the potentially rich valleys between the Sacramento River and the coast. Dedicated as San Francisco de Solano in 1824, the mission became in 1835 the center of the new town of Sonoma, and the headquarters of the youthful Mariano Vallejo who already had begun to build an enormous adobe "palace" on his ten-league rancho some miles to the west in the Petaluma valley. Mexican attempts in 1833 and 1834 to colonize the Santa Rosa plain had failed, and the success of the Sonoma settlement thus became doubly important to control of an area troubled by suspected Russian encroachment and by native resistance. Disease aided the Mexican cause in 1838, when a smallpox epidemic reduced the local tribes and victory seemed assured in 1841,when declining fortunes persuaded the Russians to sell Fort Ross to the Swiss adventurer, Johann Sutter, and sail for Alaska. The Russian departure did not free Mexican California from the insistent pressure of other peoples. Men from the "states" had been a familiar sight north of the bay for some years. Cyrus Alexander operated his tannery in the valley which now bears his name and Captain Henry Delano Fitch, Vallejo's brother-inlaw, although living in the south had been granted the Sotoyome rancho near present Healdsburg. Samuel Smith, a Baltimore sea captain, arrived in 1843 with the first steam engine in California, and erected a saw mill on the site of the Russian farm at present Bodega. By the mid-1840's the Americans were present in substantial numbers and in June 1845 thirty-three Americans, caught up in the suspicions and machinations preceding the Mexican War, raised the Bear Flag in Sonoma and declared independence. The war between Mexico and the United States which had begun a month before the action in Sonoma ended in 1848 and added California to the territories of the United States. Statehood came in 1850 and although it did not sweep suddenly away the old patterns of life it did stimulate growth and development, particularly in agriculture. Lumbering, tanning and quarrying also played important parts in the new county’s economy and the old ranchos were gradually broken up often to the accompaniment of bitter litigation. Transportation increased in importance as population increased and towns appeared. Santa Rosa grew up near the Carillo rancho of Vallejo's mother-in-law and Petaluma adobe. Before the railroads came in the 1870's, a network of stagecoach routes tied together the communities, ranches and farms of the County. Roads were often muddy and difficult despite the efforts of local government, and stage travellers welcomed stops at such hostelries as the Washoe House on the trail from Petaluma to Smith's Ranch and Bodega Bay. Railroads eased the paths of commerce and travel through the County and by 1880, for instance, Petaluma’s thriving chicken and egg industries were connected profitably by both rail and water routes to the San Francisco markets. Lumbermen in the timberlands along the Russian River and quarrymen near near Freestone and Santa Rosa depended on the railroads, as did the ranchers and farmers along Dry Creek, and the visitors who came to marvel at the geysers, or who sought renewed vigor in the County's numerous mineral springs or at Emily Preston's dispensary near Cloverdale. During the last quarter of the century some visitors sought solace of a different sort in three utopian communities. Fountain Grove, immediately north of Santa Rosa, remains the most well known of these, but the Icaria Speranza colony south of Cloverdale, and the Altruria colony on Mark West Creek, anticipated social experiments of the 1960's and 1970's as well. In the century and a quarter of American control, Sonoma County has shared in California's general prosperity and enormous population growth. Potatoes, hops, wine grapes, apples and other fruits became important crops and dairy farming contributed importantly to the wealth of the County. Eventually both light industries and service occupations joined agriculture to provide employment for a growing and remarkably diverse population as native Americans, Mexicans, Chinese, Swiss, Italians, and Portuguese all made important contributions to life in the County despite the heavy odds of dominant Yankee values. The earthquake of 1906, the utilization of the automobile, the depression of the thirties, and the World War of the forties shaped significantly the history of the County in the twentieth century. The depression and the war sent thousands of Americans toward golden California. Automobiles and trucks increased individual mobility and encouraged rapid growth along main travelled corridors, and centralized services in the main urban centers. Housing tracts, apartments and shopping centers created a new twentieth-century landscape. The memory of earlier times was to be found only in the byways of the County where in many stranded rural centers the flavor of the nineteenth century was preserved. CHARACTERISTICS OF FOUR HISTORIC SONOMA COUNTY ARCHITECTURAL STYLES Architectural styles are defined through time, with adaptations being made to fit particular geographic and economic conditions. In small fast-growing communities, interpretations of architectural styles often are much more simplistic than their equivalent expressions in well-established urban environments. Sonoma County historical architecture was influenced by the Yankee Invasion of the Gold Rush period. The predominating style, simplified Greek Revival, was once common throughout California. Greek Revival, Queen Anne, ltalianate, and Stick are the most popular 19th century Sonoma County styles. These styles will be described here in terms of specific design features: roof slope, massing of building volumes, proportions of windows and doors, detailing and ornamentation, use of materials, and color. This discussion will develop the basis for design review as implemented by the Historic District Zoning Ordinance. GREEK REVIVAL In its early California stages Greek Revival is noted for its sharp, severe lines which became less severe through time. Building volumes appear as a simple block or as a juxtaposition of simple blocks. Roof slopes are very steep. Different building volumes are positioned perpendicularly. In the Greek Revival style, doors and windows are positioned at very regular intervals, often in a symmetrical relationship. Doors have the same proportions as windows, both being long and narrow. Windows are composed of many small panes and are always straight at the top -- never arched Molding around windows and doors and at building edges is very precise. The more articulated examples of Greek Revival have roof plane framing that returns at the building edges. Historical Architecture is readily distinguishable from newer structures due to its horizontal lap siding. Railings and Balustrades, if present, are always formal (symmetrical) and composed of vertical elements. Balustrade with diagonal members (as below) is inappropriate for Greek Revival. Greek Revival buildings are very straight-forward statements. Clean simple lines with precise detailing is the hallmark of this style. Facades are usually devoid of any extraneous ornamentation, save perhaps, decorated porch posts. QUEEN ANNE In their detailing and precision the simple Queen Anne wooden expressions found in Sonoma County are very similar to Greek Revival. The readily identifiable differences are in the buildings' massing of volumes and roof pitch. Queen Anne building lines are less severe than Greek Revival. Roof profiles are what has been described by architectural historians as more "picturesque" -- that is, they are composed of several intersecting planes. The overall building shape and placement of windows and doors is not regular or symmetric. Proportions of windows and doors is often irregular also. Queen Anne houses usually have some windows that are long and narrow in the same proportions as the door, and some windows that are twice as wide as the door. There are never pediments over the windows or doors, however, roof planes often intersect at the roofline, creating a triangular pediment-like effect. Pastel shades are common to Queen Anne exteriors, with precise moldings around windows and doors often painted in a contrasting color. Exterior wooden siding, as with Greek Revival, is typically horizontal lap siding. Exterior faces often have a variety of textures, as the addition of scalloped shingles shingles in the roof pediment. Little touches of applied ornamentation are also common. STICK STYLE Stick Style emphasizes the vertical dimension and flat, gingerbread decoration. ITALIANATE This style is characterized by a false front with brackets beneath the cornice line, and if roof or door pediments are present, they are supported by brackets also. Doors and windows are always long and narrow. This characteristic is the most commonly misrepresented feature of modern-day adaptations of the ltalianate style. The tendency today is to open up these buildings to allow more light to enter, however this does not follow the Italianate characteristics developed in the late 1800's. ltalianate windows are rounded at the top and have brackets under the console. Italianate buildings have a cornice supported by brackets to finish off the false front. CURRENT PRESERVATION ACTIVITIES HISTORIC DISTRICT ZONING ORDINANCE In 1973, the Board of Supervisors received requests by petition from twenty-two Freestone property owners to establish an Historic District in Freestone and to designate certain buildings as Historic Structures. However, no such zoning classification existed in the County zoning code. After several months of staff research, a zoning classification for Historic Districts was developed in the spring of 1974. The intention of historic district zoning is to preserve the exterior appearance of buildings existing in the historic district and to regulate the exterior appearance of any new buildings erected within the district. In Sonoma County, the Historic District (“HD”) zone is a "combining district zone, meaning that it is a zoning designation applied in combination with whatever zoning class already exists on the parcel(s). For "RR-HD", for Secondary Agricultural "A-2-HD", for Neighborhood Commercial "C-I-HD", etc. The "HD" designation does not change land use or directly affect lot splits or taxes. Under "HD" zoning, individually designated historic structures are also protected for six months from demolition. Should the owner of an historic structure seek to demolish his building, the County Landmarks Commission may suspend the granting of a Permit to Demolish for a period not to exceed six months. During this interval it is hoped that alternatives to demolition, such as relocation of the structure, public or private purchase, or adaptive re-use, may be arranged. In addition, design control is required for designated historic structures within or outside of an historic district if proposed exterior alterations require a building permit. All new construction in historic districts is also subject to design review. Upon passage of the "HD" zoning classification, Freestone residents immediately requested consideration as an Historic District. A Citizens' Advisory Committee was therefore appointed by the Board of Supervisors, in accordance with the historic district zoning ordinance. This Committee worked with Planning staff to suggest precise boundaries of the district, to identify those buildings which might be designated as historic buildings, and to recommend style standards for new construction in the area. The Planning staff later prepared a study analyzing the Citizens' Advisory Committee findings. After the study was reviewed by all property owners of the proposed Historic District, public hearings were held by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors officially designating Freestone as an Historic District. The Sweetwater Springs Historic District, six miles southwest of Healdsburg at the intersection of Westside Road and Sweetwater Springs Road, was dedicated at the property owner's request as the County's second Historic District in December, 1975. This district contains seven buildings on two parcels. The three designated historic structures include the hop kiln, which dominates the curve in Westside Road about six miles from Healdsburg, the sheep barn across Westside Road from it, and the Italianate residence behind it, moved to the site from another similar rural agricultural area (Fulton) to save it from being torn down. The other four buildings are of lesser importance, although they contribute positively to the total environmental setting of the ranch. The hop kiln and its surrounding environs typify Sonoma County agricultural life at the turn of the century. The Hop Kiln Winery is the most significant remaining stone hop kiln in the North Coast Region (Sonoma and Mendocino Counties). To date, over a dozen historic structures have been designated, outside the confines of an historic district, as a part of specified land use and zoning studies performed by the Current Planning Division of the County Planning Department. These buildings are located in Occidental, Windsor, and the South Sonoma Valley. HISTORIC SITES INVENTORY One of the key elements of any successful historic preservation effort is an inventory of possible candidates for preservation status. Recognizing this need, the Planning Deparment invested the aid of California State College, Sonoma students and staff. In the fall of 1972, several students in geography classes began survey work. This work has expanded during the 1974-75 academic year so that forty geography and history students, under the direction of Professors Timothy Bell and Peter Mellini, assisted in the survey work. As of this writing, approximately 500 inventory items have been recorded. An additional stature was given the work by the creation of an Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee under the General Plan Citizens' Advisory Committee. This survey is a very valuable educational tool for both students and County residents. Students are taught to apply concepts of history and geography learned in the classroom. Community interest is awakened when students make inquiries of local residents concerning the history of their community. The most important aspect of the historic preservation experience is educating the public to appreciate history and to discover that history can be most meaningful if correctly interwoven with the developing fabric of a community. The Planning Department's base mapping system was utilized to facilitate the survey procedure. This grid mapping system divides the County into approximately 120 units. Following introductory lectures on architectural styles, students were assigned a particular grid unit as their survey area. Survey results were recorded on specially prepared forms. The forms, to be found in the Appendix, include a photograph and location map of the structure or site, information pertaining to architectural and historical significance, condition of the building, and if available, the street address, owner's name, assessor's parcel, and zoning designation. HISTORIC PRESERVATION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Citizen involvement in the Open Space Element of the County General Plan dates to 1972. Goals and Policies for Historical/Archaeological Preservation were developed by the Historical and Cultural Resources Sub-Committee on Open Space. These goals and policies were very general in nature. Planning staff and the General Plan Advisory Committee felt that more specific study was necessary to initiate a comprehensive historic preservation program. To this end, the Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee was organized in January, 1975. Working with the Planning staff from the goals and Advisory Committee explored and developed the basic problems and procedures for a Sonoma County historic preservation program. It must be stressed that this committee did not officially designate structures or historic districts, but merely identify and categorize these resources. The major task of the Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee has been to review and elaborate upon the raw inventory of historic sites compiled by California State College, Sonoma students, and identify areas that might be suitable for eventual designation as historic districts. The Technical Advisory Committee was assisted by representatives from the localities studied. A partial listing of specific structures suitable for preservation and a list of environmental settings deserving special treatment has been developed and is included in the Appendix of this report. As of this writing, not all areas of the County have been surveyed and evaluated. Two committee meetings were held for each locality studied. Such areas consisted of several communities: I. Glen Ellen and Kenwood; 2. Bodega, Bloomfield, Valley Ford and Two Rock; 3. South Sonoma Valley; 4. Cloverdale, Geyserville, Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg; and 5. Petaluma Area. A first meeting was held for input from the local community, and a second for committee evaluation of raw data. Citizen representatives for a survey area, members of local historical societies and long-time residents, were invited to attend the first meeting for a survey area. Prior to this meeting, Planning staff had reviewed the survey sheets, augmented these listings the inventory for the area; also, Committee members visited the area with maps indicating possible historic sites. Citizen representatives then reviewed background as possible, and indicated important landmarks not previously cited in the survey. A standard procedure for recording citizen evaluation and data input was not developed since settlement patterns varied in different geographical areas. In areas where settlement patterns and road names were recognizable from the 1898 Atlas of Sonoma County, 1898 maps were projects with an overhead projector to facilitate discussions of community history. Communities today not easily recognizable from the 1898 maps were evaluated by circulating sheets among citizen representatives or by projecting slides of individual buildings. Each slightly different method of recording local history was successful; however, thought must be given to finding the appropriate method for a particular community or region. Citizen representatives and Committee members often performed further research following these initial meetings for a survey area. The second meeting for a survey area was devoted to evaluation of inventory entries. The Technical Advisory Committee developed an effective system to evaluate structures and/or sites according to cultural and physical qualities. This system is based on a matrix and scoring system entitled "Inventory of Associated Values for Historic Sites". This system identifies sites by inventory number, street address, environmental setting, architectural style, and archaeological potential. Sites are then rated according to symbolic/historical and aesthetic/architectural merit. Archaeological potential was not generally noted unless a site was commonly known to be an important archaeological site. The intent of the scoring system Is to identify the relative Importance of inventory entries. The terms "COMMUNITY", "NEIGHBORHOOD" or "FARM" are utilized to describe environmental setting: COMMUNITY - a settlement; a complete unit with residential and commercial uses, e.g., Freestone, Bloomfield, Bodega, Valley Ford. NEIGHBORHOOD - a series of houses within a formal pattern; one house within a row of houses; various FARM- one or two houses, or a house and outbuildings, within an agricultural setting. A site given a total score of four or above is considered to be a significant County landmark. This is not to infer, however, that other sites are to be dismissed. The determining factor in this regard is the environmental setting of the structure or site. If several structures receiving a symbolic/aesthetic rating of less than four exist in a group, they might be important within the context of an Historic District or Special Design District. Many city and state procedures for evaluating inventories of this type establish rigid priority categories, thus eliminating less important structures even though they might be significant as part of an ensemble. Sonoma County's evaluation procedure was designed so not to dismiss any structures readily, except those that are obviously unimportant or detrimental. Refer to the Appendix for review of the forms utilized in recording the Inventory of Associated Values for Historic Sites. PROPOSED HISTORIC DISTRICTS Following are the proposed Historic Districts and several significant Historic Structures recommended by the Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee for eventual landmark designation. Several survey areas remain to be evaluates. The Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee will continue its work in conjunction with student survey teams and representatives of local communities until these additional areas have been surveyed and evaluated. NON·STRUCTURAL LANDSCAPE FEATURES Landscape features may also be designated under the Historic District Zoning Ordinance. COUNTY LANDMARKS COMMISSION The Historic District Zoning Ordinance prescribes the creation of a County Landmarks Commission. This Commission shall consist of one resident from each supervisorial district, appointed by the board of supervisors. The ordinance delegates this body to conduct architectural design review for new construction and extensive remodeling of existing buildings within an historic district. In addition, the ordinance grants the County Landmarks Commission demolition control over dedicated County landmarks. Permits for demolition of landmark structures would be reviewed by the Commission and either approved, or denied for a period not to exceed six months to allow for finding alternatives to demolition. The Historic District Zoning Ordinance outlines no further duties for the Commission beyond those specified above. It is hoped that the study and recommendations of the Historic Preservation Technical Advisory Committee will provide the foundation for the work of the County Landmarks Commission. Now that the tools for historic preservation in Sonoma County have been developed, the success of a preservation program depends upon a dedicated citizens's committee supported by the Board of Supervisors and policies of local government. According to the California State Office of Planning and Research, over thirty preservation ordinances have been adopted in California, although Sonoma County is most likely the first county in California to designate a rural historic district. DESIGN REVIEW The objective of an historic preservation program is fitting preservation into the mainstream of planning activities - not merely saving a handful of buildings. Design review is an important tool introduced with the designation and preservation of individual historic structures, historic districts and special design districts as a means for preserving community identity and promoting good design in Sonoma County. Historic preservation promotes good design while also strengthening a community's economic and social position. Good community design contributes to the wellbeing of residents and visitors alike. Properly preserved historic structures often serve as imaginative focal points for community activity. To understand the necessity for instituting design review in historic areas, it should be realized that the decay of community design is usually slow and almost imperceptible. Piecemeal changes often go unrecognized until it is too late. Quite often historic buildings are altered in a manner that is unsympathetic to their architectural integrity. Numerous residences in areas of mixed residential/commercial use are often converted to accommodate commercial and professional establishments. In many instances, residential facades are altered to accommodate new uses without any attention being paid to architectural details or style. No attempt is made to express continuity in the choice of building materials, in the proportions of windows or doors, or in the articulation of windows and framing details. In residential renovations, among the most serious errors are changing the shapes of windows and doors, and changing exterior textures by use of stucco, asbestos shingles, or tar paper. For commercial conversions, the integrity of original structures is often further obliterated with the addition of obtrusive signs. Awareness of community history and historical architecture encourages residents to value and care for their community. Good design standards protect community vitality from within while also insuring that new residents or businesses attracted to an historic community will maintain a community's attractiveness and live-ability. Properly preserved and interpreted historic areas and structures help provide an economic asset to a community through tourism. "Sightseeing visits to historic areas are a large portion of the recreational activity of Californians. Every attempt at compatible usage with tourism should be made without sacrificing historic integrity." INDIVIDUAL HISTORIC STRUCTURES The geographic boundaries of preservation efforts may be limited to a particular structure or site, or may encompass larger districts. Thus the preservation of historic or architecturally significant structures can involve individual structures or an entire area. Preservation of historic buildings and environments should be viewed on a continuum ranging from isolated individual historic buildings in rural areas, to historic buildings in an urban setting, to an entire historic district. The concern of the Technical Advisory Committee and the staff has been to structure government participation in preservation efforts on this continuum so as to provide regulatory tools suited to each particular case. Designated landmarks need not necessarily be buildings but may also include historic sites or natural phenomena. The two rocks that gave Two Rock its name might be an example of a non-structural historic landmark. Several buildings have, to date, been designated by the Board of Supervisors as Sonoma County Historic Landmarks. They have been essentially sites significant primarily to local communities rather than of regular statewide significance. However, these landmarks can be expected to be entered on the State Historic Resources Inventory. The staff and Technical Advisory Committee in developing recommendations has based its work through development of an inventory of historic buildings and sites. This has involved contact with individual communities. This has (and will provide broad-based input to the program. However, it is not feasible for the Planning Department or Landmarks Commission to perform detailed studies of the community. This initiative will lie within the individual community. In addition, any building deemed to be architecturally or historically significant may be designated as a county landmark at an owners request. Requests may be expected from chambers of commerce, historical societies, improvement clubs and other civic organizations. Such groups might wish to research their local history to determine whether buildings deserve Sonoma County landmark designation. In the future, owners of certain historic structures may benefit from a tax exemption. If designated Sonoma County Landmarks qualify for California State Landmark Registration, the property owner may negotiate for an historical property contract and receive a tax exemption. Buildings eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places may eventually be eligible for tax exemption also. The designation of a structure as a County Landmark protects the building facade from changes. Any building permit must be approved by the County Landmarks Commission to ensure compatibility with overall exterior design of the structure, and ensure that, should the owner desire to demolish a building, the County Landmarks Commission may issue a temporary stay of demolition to facilitate saving the structure. HISTORIC DISTRICTS An historic district is an area containing a number of structures having special historic, architectural, or aesthetic value. Although the appearance of the community may have been somewhat altered through time, the original community fabric, building and street lines, and patterns of open and developed spaces are still essentially intact. Formation of an historic district can be centered around several primary structures that are designated as County Landmarks, but structures not themselves of landmark importance can also be included within the district to support the landmarks visually in scale and continuity. All buildings within the district are subject to design standards specified by the Planning Commission through efforts of the Planning staff and local Citizens' Advisory Committees, and administered by the County Landmarks Commission. New construction and alterations to existing structures requiring a building permit are monitored to ensure compatibility with the character of the historic district. Landmark designation for a structure within the district offers a building temporary demolition protection, should the structure be threatened. Freestone is an example of a designated historic district. SPECIAL DESIGN DISTRICTS A special design district is an area or town having an identifiable community character or theme, but not having a cohesive unified design continuity. A distinguished district in that while it will include several historic or architecturally significant buildings, the original community style continuity is gone. Individual historic structures may be designated within a special design district. Occidental is an example of a special design district. Occidental residents value the conglomeration of architectural styles represented in their town but were anxious that the identity of their community be strengthened and the historic structures preserved. An historic district may also be dedicated adjacent to or within the boundaries of a special design district. An example of the latter is Broadway leading into the City of Sonoma. Broadway and much of the City deserve to be designated as special design district, while the historic Sonoma Plaza should be placed under the strict design control and demolition control afforded by Historic District zoning. A special design district study would define those characteristics warranting preservation and set forth design standards for new construction and remodeling. A special design district would be zoned as a combining district zoning designation, Scenic Design ("SO"). Design review for the district would be performed by the Design Review Committee of the Sonoma County Planning Department. PRESERVING COMMUNITY INTEGRITY Technology has quickened the pace of change and introduced a great variety of building materials and construction methods. Since personal tastes and social attitudes often govern today's choice of materials and methods, design review has been introduced to guarantee carefully executed design solutions. The landscape and buildings of a healthy community exhibit continuity of a community's past and present. In recognition of this concept, a properly instituted design review program aims to insure guided freedom for future growth in historic areas. Design review for historic districts or special design districts will vary according to conditions in particular communities, but should insure that new buildings conform in scale, proportions and texture to existing community form. Efforts to achieve continuity should not be so restrictive as to force design into mere imitation. Yet the design of new buildings in and adjacent to historic areas, and new additions to old buildings must be carefully executed to achieve harmony between old and new. The challenge particularly in special design districts is to create contemporary buildings whose flavor and scale complements rather than imitates the predetermined images of the historic setting. DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR NEW AND REMODELED CONSTRUCTION IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS The design principles and standards below are intended to ensure maximum compatibility of new construction with older buildings in historic districts. It is important that new buildings be constructed to a height within a reasonable average height of existing adjacent buildings. In urban areas, the relationship of height and bulk of adjacent buildings is most important. For Sonoma County rural historic districts, however, the building height relationship may assume less importance. REPETITION OF ROOF SHAPE Relationship of Roof Shapes - Similarity of roof shapes is often the most important means for achieving continuity in design between new and old buildings In historic areas. Roofs are an important factor in the overall design of a building to help relate items such as height and scale to those of adjacent structures. Directional Expression of Front Elevations – Structural shape, placement of openings, and architectural details may give a predominantly vertical, horizontal, or a non-directional character to the building’s façade. 19th century residential buildings tend to be vertical while 20th century buildings often have a horizontal emphasis. Relationship of Materials - A variety of materials, when properly used, can add to the distinctiveness of a neighborhood. Common materials are brick, stone, stucco, wood, or other material. Used properly, materials can enhance desired neighborhood qualities such as compatibility, continuity, similarity, harmony, etc. Relationship of Textures - The texture of a building is an important factor in the overall appearance of a neighborhood. The predominant texture may be smooth (stucco), or rough (brick with tooled joints), or horizontal wood siding, or other textures. Whatever texture is used, its appearance must be considered in relation to the neighborhood to ensure a compatible blending with other styles. Relationship of Colors - The proper application of a color scheme to a building or a series of buildings can highlight important features and increase their overall appearance. Accent or blending colors on building details is also desirable in creating compatibility of neighboring structures. Use of exterior color is of particular importance in the case of a wood frame house where the combination of wall and trim colors usually decides its basic character. A good color scheme should be neighborly as well as effective in itself, so that both the house and the environment benefit. Repetition of details - such as choice of exterior building materials, proportions of windows and doors, gingerbread porch posts and trim, window and door moldings, cornices, lintels, and arches- is extremely important in ensuring compatible appearance in new construction in historic areas. There has been a general misunderstanding as to the 19th century styles because of the weather-beaten appearance of many vintage buildings. Greek Revival, Queen Anne, ltalianate, and Stick architectural styles are precise in their detailing and consistency of proportions. There is a great difference between these precise, albeit weathered, architectural statements, and contemporary efforts to create vintage-style buildings by constructing badly proportioned, no details, rough-shod buildings of rough-sawn plywood or board and batten. Setback is an important consideration in harmonizing new with old in rural historic areas. IMPLEMENTING HISTORIC PRESERVATION PRIVATE ACTION Land Trusts Recently, there has been an upsurge in the number of private conservation groups willing to purchase or accept lands for the benefit of the community and the environment. Residents of the Sonoma Valley have established a local Sonoma Land Trust under the guidance of the Trust for Public Land. The Trust for Public Land, founded in 1973 and headquartered in San Francisco, acquires important open space lands from the private sector, often at a rate lower than fair market value, and eventually sells it to public agencies. Often citizens want to donate land to public agencies but jurisdictions do not want to accept it. The Trust for Public Land works to create local self-sustaining conservation organizations to purchase open space in and around urban areas. Private efforts, such as these, should be encouraged as an effective means of acquiring funds that might otherwise not be attainable through government action, or as a holding action until governmental funds can become available. Preservation Grants and Loans Grants and loans can often be procured to aid community groups in the purchase or rehabilitation of historic sites or significant buildings. Private philanthropic foundations and the Federal Government generally provide funds to be matched by the local jurisdiction, counties or cities. Concerned Individuals can donate important skills: architectural skills, archival research, legal advice, photographic skills, or writing of news stories. The cost equivalents of these donated services can be computed at fair market value and are often used as “matching funds”. The federally-funded National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C., allows this practice. Local publicity often procures additional financial aid. Uses of Charitable Deduction State and Federal income tax laws allows businesses and individuals to obtain favorable tax deductions for many types of donations to non-profit causes. There are also carryover provisions to spread the effects of a deduction beyond one fiscal year. With ingenuity, tax write-offs can be a powerful aid to historic preservation. Revolving Funds A revolving fund is capital administered by a nonprofit corporation for the purpose of purchasing and restoring architecturally significant structures. It can also be cash lent by a non-profit organization to individuals or organizations for the same purpose. All proceeds from rentals, sales, interest, and dividends must be returned to the fund in order to replenish it. Thus the fund revolves. Such funds are generally used in specific urban areas or historic districts. The revolving fund assembles high risk capital from private individuals, foundations and financial instructions to stimulate private investment and ownership in deteriorated areas. Less than Fee Acquisition Land ownership is a bundle of rights to the use of land, for example, the right to develop the land, the right to mineral exploration, etc. In less-than-fee acquisition, only certain desired rights are purchased or obtained by donation, such as the right to prohibit tree removal, road construction, or building of structures. Less-than-fee acquisition is, therefore, the acquiring of a number of rights in order to retain, encourage or deter certain types of land uses. This is an effective historic conservation procedure. Historic Preservation Easements Historic preservation easements generally deal with the exterior features of a building and are a means of purchasing a right in a property to insure that architectural features will not be altered. Easements may also control the height of buildings adjacent to historic sites. "Easements are frequently used by private bodies that employ revolving funds. Property is purchased, restored, and resold with an architectural easement. GOVERNMENTAL ACTION Historical Buildings Code Senate Bill 927, approved in September, 1975, creates a State Historical Buildings Code to provide "for alternative building regulations for the rehabilitation, preservation, restoration, or relocation of qualified historical buildings or structures." This bill authorizes the building department of every California city or county and state agencies "to apply regular building code regulations, alternative building code regulations, or any combination thereof, in permitting repairs, alterations, and additions to historical buildings or structures." This bill will encourage historic preservation by making it easier to appeal certain Uniform Building Code regulations unsympathetic to rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of older structures. Historical Property Contracts "The legislative body of a city or county may contract with the owner of any qualified historical property, a Registered California State Landmark, to restrict the use of such property to retain its characteristics of historical significance. If such contracts are entered into, the owner of an historical property may receive a tax deduction." Environmental Effect Review Guidelines established by the State Environmental Quality Act of 1970 mandate that an Environmental Impact Report be prepared if a proposed project might cause a possible significant adverse effect on the environment. If a project is designed to destroy a known archaeological or historical site, it would most likely be construed as having a possible significant adverse effect. In this case, an EIR would be prepared to explore the nature, value, and importance of the threatened resource. The EIR would explore possible mitigations to alter or modify the project in such a way as to avoid significant adverse effects. It will also discuss other possibilities to a proposed project by examining alternative projects on the same site, or the same project on alternative sites. In Sonoma County, the Environmental Protection Committee performs initial review to determine whether a project will require an EIR. The County decision making bodies (Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors) must possess adequate environmental information to assess the effects of a proposed project at the time of public hearing. Zoning Permit Procedures In addition to overall zoning procedures, specified land uses within certain zoning classifications require approval by permit from the Planning Commission or the Zoning Administrator. The permit procedures allow the County to review proposed projects for conformance with applicable laws, County policies, general suitability of the use in the area, and mitigation of possible adverse environmental effects, and to establish conditions of use which may in part provide for the protection of environmental features, amenities, economic and historic resources. Subdivision Regulations Local governments have power to regulate subdivisions within their jurisdiction, and approval of a proposed subdivision may be withheld or subjected to specific conditions. These conditions, known as subdivision exactions, can require sub-dividers to donate land or money to local government for park, school, sewer, and drainage facilities since the subdivision will require increased governmental services. These exaction powers have been given liberal interpretation by the courts and give local governments broad power to control land use in subdivisions. These powers may be used to promote historic preservation if the land for a proposed subdivision contains any structures of historic or architectural value. Approval of the subdivision may be withheld if there are no provisions for their preservation, or the county may exact a dedication of the land to the public for park purposes. THE CALIFORNIA HISTORY PLAN (This section was prepared by the California State Department of Parks and Recreation) The objective of the California History Preservation Program is the preservation and interpretation of California’s rich heritage through the identification and protection of significant historic features. This objective is achieved through a variety of state sponsored programs, including the preparation and maintenance of a California History Plan, a statewide inventory of all historic and archeological features, and several registers of outstanding sites, objects, and structures. The state’s participation in the preservation effort is carried out by the Department of Parks and Recreation and includes the acquisition, development, interpretation, and operation of historic units within the California State Park System and administration of grants-in-aid programs that provide financial assistance in the preservation of state and local historic features. The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 requires that each state produce a history plan and conduct a survey of historic resources. To accomplish this, the California History Plan has been prepared in three volumes. Volume One: Comprehensive Preservation Program presents an overview of California's history, recommends programs for history preservation, and outlines a systematic process for selecting preservation projects. Volume Two: Inventory of Historic Features contains approximately 3,000 entries. However, this inventory is not complete and will be continually updated. Volume Three: Annual Preservation Program lists California's proposed preservation projects for the coming fiscal year, reports the status of current projects, and updates information on policy changes and legislation that affect history preservation in the state. Inventory of Historic Features The California State Department of Parks and Recreation, with the help of each county in the state, is conducting a statewide inventory of archaeological and historic sites, structures, and objects. Each county, through its board of supervisors, participates in compiling the inventory. Counties are being assisted by historical societies and by civic, service, youth, and other interested groups. Inventory forms are available from the State Department of Parks and Recreation or through the Sonoma County Planning Department. The State Inventory of Historic Features will eventually contain approximately 50,000 items. REGISTER PROGRAMS California Landmarks Program This program is monitored by the State Historical Resources Commission, which functions as a screening body to recommend to the State Historic Preservation Officer those applications that meet the criteria for landmark registration adopted by the Commission. The Commission requires the sites and features to be significant in the history of the state. Each landmark registered by the State is eligible a landmark plaque. Today there are nearly 860 California Historical Landmarks, many of which are marked with appropriate plaques. Points of Historical Interest Program This program was established to make it possible to register sites of local historic interest that fail to meet the criteria for registration as California Historical Landmarks. Applications are submitted to the State Historic Preservation Officer. National Register of Historic Places Under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service maintains a register of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that meet the criteria established under this act. California's State Historic Preservation Officer to the National Park Service is the Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. He makes nominations to the National Register based on the advice of the State Historical Resources Commission. The historic features thus nominated must then be approved by the National Park Service. The California State Park System Through the Department of Parks and Recreation, the State of California operates more than 35 historic park units. Many of the other units in the State Park System also contain important historic features. Such features as old forts, gold rush towns, missions, museums, mansions once owned by famous individuals, and artifact collections are maintained within the State Park System and are interpreted through exhibits and guided tours for the education and enjoyment of the general public. Sonoma County and the California Program Entries in the Sonoma County Historic Sites Inventory have not yet been recorded on the appropriate state forms and included in the state inventory. The newly appointed County Landmarks Commission may coordinate this project. Numerous designated Sonoma County Historic Landmarks and Districts are, and will, be eligible for State and National Register designation. Sites are listed in the National Register of Historic Places according to national, state, regional, or local significance in history, architecture, archaeology, or culture. It is conceivable that many designated Sonoma County Historic Landmarks will be eligible for inclusion under the categories of local, regional, or state significance. SONOMA COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT GUIDE TO PREPARING HISTORIC SITES: INVENTORY OF ASSOCIATED VALUES FOR HISTORIC SITES SITE NUMBER: Determined by map section numbers ADDRESS: SYMBOLIC VALUE: 0 to 3 3-National/State 2-Regional/County 1-Local 0-None AESTHETIC VALUE: -1 to 3 3-Outstanding 2-Important 1-Indigenous 0-None 1-Detracts ARCHAEOLOGICAL POTENTIAL: "Yes" or "No" ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING: Community: a settlement; a complete unit with residential and commercial uses; i.e.: Freestone, Bloomfield, Bodega, Valley Ford Neighborhood: a series of houses within a formal pattern; one house within a row of houses; various buildings not in a town center; i.e.: a residential street in: Bodega Bay, El Verano, Geyserville or McDonald Ave. in Santa Rosa Farm: one or two houses or a house and out-buildings within an agricultural setting ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: If a house, give style: ltalianate, Queen Anne, Greek Revival, Stick, Adobe, etc. If a structure other than a house, give type: barn, school, depot, etc If landscape feature, give type: fence, grove of trees, railroad right of way, cemetery, etc. BIBLIOGRAPHY City of Sacramento Historical Structures Advisory Committee, Sacramento Old City: A Preservation Program, Sacramento City Planning Commission, Curtis, Tomi – Consultant for Arthur D. Little, Inc., a Proposed Historic Preservation Program and Ordinance, final report to the City of Santa Rosa, Ca., Sept. 1974 Feiss, Carl and Morton, Terry B., “True or False: Living Architecture, 0old and New: a reprint from Historic Preservation, vol. 20, #2, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington, D.C., April-June 1968. Hansen, Harvey J., Wild Oats in Eden, Hooper Printing and Lithograph Co., Santa Rosa,Ca., 1962 Monterey County Historical Advisory Committee, Historical Element: Monterey County General Plan, Monterey County, Ca., May 1974 Mulle, Barbara Davis, Sonoma County Crossroads. C.M. Publications, San Rafael, Ca., 1974. Scharmer, Roger P., Historic Preservation – a Planning Opportunity, State of California Dept. of Housing and Community Development, Sacramento, a report on a presentation made to the American Institute of Planners Convention, 1974. Small Towns Institute, Small Tow, Proceedings of the conference “Administration in Small Towns” sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in February 1975,vol. 5 May 1975. Sonoma County Planning Dept., Sonoma County Open Space Elements, Phase II, Santa Rosa, Ca., June 1973. Stanford Environmental Law Society and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Preservation in Californja: A Legal Handbook, Stanford, Ca. March 1975. State of California Dept. of Parks and Recreation, The California History Plan, Vol. One: Comprehensive Preservation Program. Dec. 1973; Vol. Two: Inventory of Historic Features. August, 1973; Vol. Three: Annual Program. June 1975, Sacramento, Ca. Ziegler, Arthur P., "Dollars and Sense: Preservation Economics", Historic Preservation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Wash., D.C., Vol. 23, #2, April-June, 1971. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Brian Kahn– First District William Kortum – Second District Charles Hinkle – Third District Will Johnson – Fourth District Robert Theiller – Fifth District PLANNING COMMISSION Janet G. Nicholas Fred Realy, Jr. Marion Hodge Adrienne Swenson Helen McAboy Evelyn Riddell Edward T. Meese Thomas J. Lubas Doris Kennedy Lee O. Torr III HISTORIC PRESERVATION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Dan Lee Peterson, Chairperson - Architect Timothy A. Bell – Geographer, California State College, Sonoma Harry Lapham – Sonoma County Historical Society Daniel Markwyn – Colonial Historian, California State College, Sonoma Peter Mellini – Social Historian, California State College, Sonoma Joann Mitchell – Local Historian William Poe – Archaeologist, California State College, Sonoma Jim Voss – Citizens’ General Plan Advisory Committee